Fighting Destiny
by BlackRoseApocalyps
Summary: Sequel to Just a Girl. They say you can't fight destiny, we still try, no one else does and we can't give up COMPLETE
1. Trouble starts

Disclaimer: out of all of this, I own Marianne, Michael, Tank, Nova/Ben, Gaia/Sarah, Shadow, Connor, Samantha, Jonathan and Ezra. Any new OC's are mine unless otherwise mentioned. Further more I own the plot. I do not, nor will I ever own X-Men Evolution, any songs mentioned are not mine either. This disclaimer applies to the entire story.  
  
A/N: this is the sequel to my fic Just a Girl, read that first or you will be lost, we wouldn't want that, now would we?  
  
Agent-G: no need to wait! Here is the first chapter. Read and find out what's this about.  
  
Silver12: thanks for the review, you have no idea what it means to me when people like what I write! No thanks for finishing the story, it's only logical, ne?  
  
Fighting Destiny – Trouble starts  
  
A young, blond woman looked around the room, across from her sat a red headed, near orange man, a girl of her age with dark green, died hair, a man build like a tank and her boyfriend: Michael. Usually, these conversations were cheerful, full of jokes, but now, even Tank was deadly serious.  
  
"So we're up next?" Marianne asked the group.  
  
"Yes, everyone is going to be evacuated tomorrow. You're sure you're going to stay here with us?" Nova asked her. Normally, he was a walking disaster area, but he was under pressure now, and that brought the best out in him.  
  
"Yes, whatever that is going to happen, you guys are going to need a doctor, and if it isn't stopped here, whatever will happen, I don't think any of us would be save anywhere," Marianne nodded. They had had this discussion already.  
  
The precogs who had aligned themselves with Underground had recieved visions about something terrible happening, no one knew what, but it apparently was bad enough for Underground to pull everyone out of the USA, at least. It would start there. Not everyone wanted to leave, though, and Marianne was, sort of, proud to say her friends didn't want to either.  
  
It would be strange, Marianne figured, so many rooms would be empty, no more kids to keep her from running tests on any subject she could think of, on one side, that would be a good thing, on the other side, it would get boring. As far as it could get boring when you were preparing for a serious threat of which you knew nothing.  
  
"Now, if you will excuse me, I believe I have a patient in the hospital wing on who I really should check up," Marianne rose from her seat and left the conference-room. She hated being in that room, perhaps that was what made them joke around in there so much. But regardless, being in that room meant there was trouble, for them or for someone else.  
  
She returned to the hospital, slightly surprised that she wasn't ambushed by someone, but then again: they were all probably packing and the children were having their lessons. A couple of adults had taken it upon themselves to start a temporary school. Marianne, Michael, Tank, Sarah and Ben thought it was a great idea.  
  
She looked at the man who was still out cold. He had mid long, brown hair, he looked pretty battered, he had several bruised and cracked ribs, it looked like he had recieved quite the beating, she was amazed he had no broken bones.  
  
"You must have a pretty thick skull, mister, I'm surprised those haters didn't kill you," Marianne muttered as she took his vitals once again. Haters, that was what they called those who were FOH, or those who sympathised with FOH. He was still out cold, they didn't know his name, all they knew he was a mutant and had obviously gotten into more trouble then he could handle.  
  
It appeared he was still unconcious, so Marianne turned to her phone. It was time to give the X-Men a call, and see if they had picked up on Underground's current buzz of frantic activity, which they most likely hadn't, as she was the one who kept them posted on things.  
  
"Xavier's Institute for the... KURT! Give that back here!" Kitty picked up the phone.  
  
"My my, should I come over and drill some discipline into the boy?" Marianne chuckled  
  
"Marianne!" Kitty forgot all about Kurt when she heard Marianne on the other side.  
  
"Can you patch me through to the professor, it's kinda important," Marianne smiled at the happyness she heard in Kitty's voice. She had no regrets for leaving the X-Men and joining Mutant Underground, even though life was harder like this. She missed her friends at the mansion, but she was often too busy to stop and think about it all.  
  
"Marianne, Kitty told me you had something important?" she heard Xavier's voice, laced with a hint of worry.  
  
"Yeah, it's kinda like this: the precogs of Underground picked up on something bad that is going to happen here in the USA. We're evacuating our people, our safehouse is up tomorrow. I wanted to give you a heads up, perhaps you should get the young kids out of the country," no matter how grave the situation was, Marianne enjoyed talking with her mentor.  
  
"Thank you, I will discuss this. I take you and your friends are staying?" she could almost see a smile form on his face when she replied.  
  
"Ofcourse, if, whatever it is, is going to be stopped, we should do it where it starts. The guys in charge of Underground don't agree, though, but they all know that if we don't wanna move, we ain't gonna," she thought back to the argument she and Michael had had with the Underground leaders.  
  
"O, what did they say?" Marianne cursed inwardly: he knew how to read people even if he only heard their voice!  
  
"They said that we can't fight destiny, that if we stay, we write our own death. Well, even if we can't fight destiny, we can still try, right?"  
  
"I will talk this over with the X-Men, can you get in touch with us tomorrow?"  
  
"Ofcourse, bye professor," they said their goodbyes and Marianne hung up.  
  
She couldn't help but think that the X-Men were protected from the harsh reality, yes, they went out to protect mutants, yes they saw the labs. But here, in the safehouses, they patched up the damages, or at least tried. Physical and mental, sometimes, the battle to help a mutant reclaim some portion of sanity was harsh, brutal, unsuccesful. They had to live with that, the X-Men saved them, yes, but did they see the results of the hardships inflicted upon those they saved on the long term? Over the past year, Marianne had, and it had made her grow up quickly.  
  
"Mommy! Mommy!" a young girl, hardly older then four years came running into the hospital wing.  
  
"Well, aren't you supposed to help the grown-ups with packing? And stay with David?" Marianne turned her chair around to see the young girl who looked up at her expectantly, she had been brought in a couple of months ago, no one knew the girl's real name, as the girl had called herself stubbornly C.  
  
"I don't wanna go," C whined while climbing into Marianne's lap.  
  
"C, we've been over this. You have to go. I can't go. Something is going to happen and when it happens, I have to help Michael and I can only help him when I know all my children are somewhere safe. I couldn't work if I don't know if you're safe," Marianne sighed. The children were stubborn, they didn't want to leave 'mom' or 'dad'.  
  
It still amazed Marianne how easily everyone had picked up on that nickname for her and Michael. Well, who could blame them? Michael certainly acted like a strict 'dad' over the refugees, and she, well, unless you got on her bad side, was the one you went to with problems. The children had the firm believe 'mom' could fix everything. O, how she wished that were the truth, but the only thing she could do for them was at least try and live up to their expectations.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a groaning sound coming from the bed, instantly, Marianne ushered C out of her lap and rushed to the man's bed side.  
  
"C. Go tell Michael that the man in the hospital is waking up, can you do that for me? It's very important," she asked the girl with a tone as if she entrusted the child with the faith of the world. C nodded, pride and excitement filling her eyes: she was trusted with something this important! As the little girl scurried out of the hospital wing, Marianne turned to the man.  
  
"Sir, can you hear me?" she asked, while preparing a 'knock-out illusion' as a safety precausion. She only got another groan. She tried again.  
  
"Merde, y' got de license o' dat truck?" he groaned in a French accent.  
  
"I'm afraid it was not a truck, sir, but a couple of mutant haters. Don't worry, you're safe here," a smile broke through her tense face.  
  
"Ugh, Remy have a headache, de size o' dat truck," the man groaned again.  
  
"I told you, there was no truck," Marianne grinned: he knew his name, that was a good sign.  
  
"Yo' sure? An' what would be de belle femme's name?" he focused on the doctor by his bedside.  
  
"I'm Marianne Jong, and not a 'belle femme'," Marianne's grin disappeared as quickly as it appeared: great, a charmer. He probably thought she didn't even understand French.  
  
"Have yo' seen a mirror? Tu est une belle femme*, I be Remy LeBeau. What? It true!" he cried as he saw her sceptic look.  
  
"Sure, mister LeBeau. Now, you were brought in with a minor concussion, some cracked ribs, scrapes, cuts and bruises. As far as I can tell, you were very lucky. Though I would rather have you keep bedrest, we are evacuating first thing tomorrow. As far as I see your options, you can leave on your own," which she preferred, "go with the others or stay here and help us face of whatever bad things that are about to happen," the latter would also be grately appreciated, she knew Michael was having serious doubts about their numbers and ability to fight of what ever threat.  
  
"Dere trouble? Remy be no gentleman if he leave such a belle femme t' face it on 'r own, non?" he propped himself up on her shoulders and Marianne got the distinct feeling he was trying to flirt with her. She found that his eyes were fascinating, red on black.  
  
"Well, then I hope you survive Michael, he's in charge of this place. And would ya stop calling me a 'belle femme'? You'll be making an enemy out of Michael," not matter how fascinating his eyes were, or how good looking he was, his personality began to irritate her more and more by the minute.  
  
"What be dis 'Michael' t' y', petite?" he asked with curiousity.  
  
"This 'Michael' would be her boyfriend, for the past three years or so," came Michael's amused voice from the doorway.  
  
*Tu est une belle femme= you are a beautifull woman.  
  
I happen to have French, I don't like it, but it's no-choice... 


	2. Evacuating

Agent-G: well, you fell for that one, right? French, I mean. How many languages do they teach in Canada? Here, we have Dutch, English (from when you're about 8!), German and French. The latter two languages are my mortal ennemies. And nope, Gambit wasn't added in order to replace Shadow, Shadow will make is appearance, eventually. Sucks, right? And as for the 'bad thing': nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.  
  
Damn-my-name-was-taken (review last chapter Just A Girl): you certainly have a thing for rodents combined with death and destruction, ne? A friend of mine has !five! chinchilla's, they're pretty cute and incredibly soft, but I'll look for yours.  
  
Fighting Destiny – Evacuating  
  
Marianne was close to going raving mad, and it was just the next morning! She didn't trust Remy for one second to be alone in the hospital wing, and he was bored. When Remy was bored, he flirted, and if Marianne didn't want one thing, it was him flirting with her. Michael thought that it was amusing, which didn't help her. He knew that it was just flirting for Remy and that Marianne was no where near interested in him. But it gave some great entertainment when she came to bed, ranting about the cocky, no good, idiotic jerk in the hospital wing.  
  
Michael was grateful for the fact that Remy wanted to help out. His powers and control there of were impressive, to say the least, the only problem would be that Sarah would now have two people who would irritate her to no end: Tank and Remy.  
  
"Remy LeBeau! Stop that this instant!" Marianne growled, not even looking up from her microscope.  
  
"What is Remy doin' den, petite?" she heard his voice, she could almost see his 'I'm so innocent' look on his face.  
  
"You are disecting the sheets. That is what you are doing, and you are making the threads explode!" she grumbled.  
  
"How do y' know dat?" she heard his curious voice, "y' psychic or somet'in'?"  
  
"No, I am most certainly not," she refused to look up from her tests.  
  
"So, y'r power would be havin' eyes in de back o' y'r head?" he joked.  
  
"Thank god I don't. Though I know someone with that mutation, well, sort of," Marianne grinned, remembering the young boy who had been with them for two months, before leaving three weeks ago. He could sense everything that happened around him, it almost drove him insane. Luckily, the same meditation she had been taught for her control, helped the boy too, but she still had had half a mind to send him to Xavier for help. Or Logan, with his sharp senses, but they had send him to Sweden, somewhere isolated, at his own request.  
  
"Remy didn't need t' know dat," Remy shuddered, "so, what be y'r powers den, petite?"  
  
"Other then managing to stay sane here and keeping everyone in check?" Marianne was happy he was not flirting, "illusions, I cast illusions. I can have you face your worst fear, knock you out cold or have you go through your most beautiful dream."  
  
"Den Remy rat'er not have you mad wit' him, but you also a good doctor, non?"  
  
"I had a great teacher. Look, can I trust you to stay alone in the lab for a couple of hourse and not blow anything up?" Marianne turned around and looked at him, the way she looked made Remy feel as if she was a mom waiting for her son to say he was sorry and he would never do it again.  
  
'Merde' he thought, "Remy be good, Remy won't blow op anyt'in'," he promised.  
  
"Good boy," Marianne patted him on th ehead before making her way to the grounds around the safehouse. The jet would be touching ground soon, and she still had a lot of goodbyes to say. Ofcourse, she hoped they would all turn out to be 'see you later' and not 'farewell', but her sense of reality told her that it would be farewell. Even if they survived, and that chance was awfully slim, they wouldn't see eachother again. The refugees would be taken to places scattered all throughout the mutant-accepting world. They'd be crazy to come back to this place, well, most of them were crazy, ever so slightly, but not crazy enough.  
  
Marianne grinned: yup, she was crazy. She couldn't even fight properly, was still scared shitless by her powers and here she was, refusing to leave like any, remotely, sane person would when a couple of precogs told you that hell would break lose, while not giving any details, or having any details, either one of the two.  
  
As soon as she set food outside, she was attacked by at least three kids half her size. That left her sprawling on the ground with the three kids screeching around her.  
  
'This is the LAST time I'm caught by surprise,' Marianne promised herself, but already knew that that was one promise she would never be able to keep. When all this was over, she would be in the exact same position, being 'mom' to more refugees then she could count, being tackled by anyone who needed help with whichever problem they had and they would ALWAYS catch her by surprise. A dark thought fluttered through her mind: if she survived.  
  
"Now, what do all you midgets want?" she inwardly cringed: bad question. She should really learn to watch her mouth. Well, at least it gave her the momentum she needed to get back on her feet. Out of the hundreds of demands she heard, she picked up 'butterflies' the most. With an almost casual flick of her right hand, she put her mutation to work and summoned enough butterflies to keep the children occupied. It was a harmless illusion, so small she didn't even have to focus on it to keep it under control.  
  
She looked around: 23 refugees. Of which there were 7 under ten years old, 9 were teenagers and 5 were alduts, sorta. Then there was the team.  
  
"So, you finally found the courage to leave the new guy in the hospital wing on his own?" Tank came up behind her.  
  
"If he blow anything up, and I mean anything, he will get up close and personal with my mutation," Marianne's face tensed at the memory of the delicate equipment in the room in which she hda left Remy.  
  
"Whoa! Forget I asked, he's getting on your nerves?" Tank exclaimed with mock fear.  
  
"He was, he got me to the point I actually wanted to knock him out. Disecting the sheets of his bed and letting the threads explode. After I told him not to do that anymore, he settled down," Marianne huffed.  
  
"BEN! Come back here this instant or I will make sure you won't be able to have another disaster!" Tank's smirk widened as he heard Sarah curse at Ben and Ben run past the two of them while yelling apologies and that he didn't mean to almost blow her up. In Ben's case, that was the honest truth. The man was a mobile minefield and also a walking, talking disaster area.  
  
It had stopped shocking Marianne a long time ago. She herself had somehow ended up in the hospital wing a couple of times when she was on the recieving end of someone's powers. That always was uncomfortable, mostly because anyone in the safehouse who even had some medical experience usuall only had first aid knowledge present. And in some cases, that just didn't cut it, so they had to fly in doctors sometimes. Ofcourse, news of that never made it to her brother, father or the X-Men for that matter.  
  
"I'm going to divert some attention now," Tank excused himself as he went after a raging Sarah with scorch marks. Marianne didn't even bother to surpress the giggle.  
  
"I just got of the phone with the professor," Marianne suddenly felt two arms encircle her waist, "they will be joining us tomorrow. Connor, Ezra, Samantha, Jonathan and Jamie are getting out of the country to a friend of Xavier's in Canada somewhere. Perhaps that will make you feel better."  
  
"What would make me feel better is if this wouldn't be happening, or if it is happenening, that they would be at the other side of the galaxy," she muttered, while relaxing in his hold.  
  
Their safehouse wasn't big, so when they had a full house a couple of months ago, Marianne had (finally) moved in with Michael. According to Tank, it was 'about damned time'. Ben was still muttering about the bet he lost and Sarah had won. When the house had relatively emptied again, Marianne had staid in Michael's room, which was now their room.  
  
"Well, unless wishes come true, that won't be happening," he silently whispered.  
  
"Damnit Michael! Can't you just lie for this once?! Just tell me that it was all some big, god awful, joke! Just tell I'm going to wake up any minute now and that everything will be fine, we'll live on happily ever after, humans will accept us and we can just be a normal couple!" Marianne turned around, eyes blazing with anger.  
  
"Do you want me to paint the sun blue along with that?" Michael made one of his rare jokes.  
  
"I... I guess so. Life just has no happy ending, does it? It's just, in one year, I have seen so much pain, more then in the rest of my life. I've grown up from a party-girl from Boston to a doctor for refugees. Hell, I grew up from a shy, harmless girl into a woman who can kill all too easily if she doesn't stay in control. Michael, I want you to promise me that you won't keep me out of the loop because you think I would put myself in danger. We can't afford that with all of this," Marianne's eyes softened as she pleaded with the man she loved. She knew his desire to keep the promise he made to her a year ago: that he would make sure she would never have to fight, kill.  
  
Before Michael could reply, the couple barely avoided Tank darting past them, trying to avoid a very pissed of Sarah.  
  
"Someone has to teach her to control her temper," Marianne mused, a grin forming on her face.  
  
"You're talking? Anne, your temper is worse then Sarah's, we're just lucky we don't see too much of it," it was the truth, she knew it too, a smile broke through as she broke free from his embrace and before she left to talk amongst the group, she gave him a soft kiss.  
  
Anne, that was what he still called her when he wanted her to know he loved her for who she was. That he had loved her without a past, that he loved her with a past. Marianne had long ago given up trying to figure out why he loved her. She wasn't as pretty as the other girls, not as charming and most certainly not as easy to be around with. She and Michael fought often (A/N: you weren't expecting the perfect couple, were you?), about how the safehouse was run, about how much time she spent running tests. They bothe had enough sense to do this behind closed doors, in front of the others, they stuck together. The fights never were bad, they just wouldn't talk for a couple of hours, they both would be more likely to snap, but they made up and wouldn't fight for weeks, months even.  
  
After only 15 minutes, the jet landed. Marianne made sure everyone was on the jet and that those who couldn't stand eachother were as far apart as was possible. Fights on the ground, they could handle, fights in a jet? No way, not in this lifetime, not in the next or any other for that matter.  
  
"Mommy," she felt someone tug at her jeans, when she turned around, she saw C, "hug," the little girl demanded.  
  
"I'll miss you C," Marianne whispered as she obliged to the girl's demand.  
  
"Miss you too," the girl began to cry. Marianne stiffened: not good, if C started to cry, the others would too.  
  
"Hey, C, I've got an important job for you. Could you make sure these guys don't get into trouble on the flight?" she stuffed a paper with her e-mail adress in the girl's hand, "have the people with whom you're gonna live send me an e-mail on how you're doing untill you can do it yourself."  
  
"I will mom," the girl nodded eagerly, and Marianne quickly left the jet, before she would start to cry. As they watched the jet take of, she felt Michael's hand squeeze her shoulder while the other wiped away her stray tear. When she opened her mouth to say something, she heard an explosion coming from within the house.  
  
"REMY LEBEAU!" she roared as she turned on her heels and ran into the house.  
  
Michael let out a deep sigh as he went after her to ensure she didn't kill the Cajun. She was fully capable to if he had demolished some of her equipment... 


	3. Arrivals

Agent-G: well, as far as I believe, you are one of my most loyal reviewers, if the only one of this story as of yet (hint hint). Well, what does the future has in store? One can never tell, can one?  
  
Fighting Destiny – Arrivals  
  
"Y' sure de femme won't kill me?" Remy asked Tank while they were playing poker. Remy had blown up a small table when he fell out of bed, he had been extremely wobbly on his feet the first few minutes. He still cringed at Marianne's outrage, she had all but thrown him out of the hospital wing and left him in Tank's care, seeing as they were both jokers. Remy had spent the rest of the day of making sure he staid out of Marianne's way. Sarah had muttered that that was the first sign of intelligence he displayed.  
  
"Look, Marianne ain't that bad. She's just protective of 'r lab. Sure, she gets mad, an' when she gets mad, there ain't no way you'll stay save for long, but she doesn't stay mad for long, an' with the folks coming today, she'll be too busy stay mad at ya," Tank looked up, grinning, his hand was good.  
  
"Could you boys interrupt your game? The guests are arriving any minute now," Sarah peeked around the corner of the door, "and Marianne is no longer homicidal."  
  
"Dat be very good news t' Remy, Remy don' t'ink he be lookin' good as a corpse," Remy put down his cards, he was losing this round anyway. He won most, but Tank was good at the game himself.  
  
"I'd be willing to find out," Sarah replied, softly growling, she didn't particulary like Remy. Living in the same house with Tank, no matter how big the house was, was hard enough as it was, but now there was another one? Who was even worse? She kept reminding herself that 'murder was illegal', no matter how much it appealed to her.  
  
Outside, Michael and Marianne were waiting for the Blackbird to arrive, enjoying the July sun while they were outside, though making sure they staid in the shadow. There, it was nice, outside of the shadows, it wasn't so nice, at least, not to Marianne's senstive skin. They had found out she burned far to easily in the Arizona sun while constructing the safehouse. To Michael, it had seemed a reason for Marianne to get away, she hated the hot weather, as she was used to Boston, New York, Seattle, a lot of cities up north. But her stubbornness had forbidden her to go, and she staid, staying inside during the most of the day, in the evening and early morning, she would go out, to be, during the day, swallowed up by the hospital wing, which held airconditioning, Michael had made sure that the entire base had the best airconditioning Underground could get it's hands on.  
  
"You do know, that when this is over and if Remy's gonna stay here, I will have to kill him, do you?" Marianne murmurred sleepily.  
  
"If he tries to flirt with you again, I'll help you," Michael chuckled as he felt her snuggle up closer to him. It was true though, Remy no longer had an excuse to flirt with her. And as much as he trusted Marianne, he also was quite a possessive boyfriend.  
  
"Hmmm, you're sweet, but you need a shower," he felt that she was drifting away to sleep. He let her, Marianne had been up most of the night, nightmares of the lab exploding, nightmares of her mother's death, nightmares of what her mind tricked her into believing, of things that could happen. Nightmares had always been her sore spot, she had explained to Michael once, after a particular violent one, that it was a side-effect of her powers. He didn't quite get it, but then again: no one ever accused him of being a genius.  
  
He looked around the gardens, Sarah used her powers to keep the garden in shape during the spring and summer, but let it die, or rest, as she put it, everything that lived, had to die, Sarah always said, otherwise it wouldn't truly live. It was amazing, but Marianne, who battled to win and have every patient survive, agreed with Sarah. She fought to make sure that her patients didn't die before when they were supposed to, but it was not wise for a mortal to become immortal. It would drive them to insanity.  
  
Michael wondered how Logan felt, he was old, he would see his friends die, if Michael knew anyone immortal, it had to be Logan. As quickly as his mind had wondered to the gruff man, as quickly it left the subject. The warmth was making him drowsy, he too hadn't had a great night's sleep, but better then Marianne. He had woken up by her cries, yes, he had helped her get to the bathroom, yes, he had helped her get back to sleep, yes, but in between each episode, he had caught enough sleep to keep himself going.  
  
He knew Tank was with Remy, he had volunteered to make sure Remy didn't get into trouble, Ben was making a new training program for a larger group and Sarah, well, she was somewhere.  
  
Michael perked up slightly when he heard the door of the house opening, there they were. As the four others, Remy and Ben included, joined them, Michael gave them a glare that promised them a very painful lesson if they woke Marianne up before the Blackbird arrived. And a glare from Michael like this always did his work.  
  
Luckily, the Blackbird arrived soon, before Remy could get bored and start something with his cards.  
  
"Merde! Dose be yer guests? De X-Men?!" Remy cursed upon recognizing the jet.  
  
"Yeah, they're friends of Marianne," Tank grinned.  
  
"Dey friend o' yers? Petite?" Remy looked at the waking young woman in Michael's arms.  
  
"Yeah," she yawned, "I used to live with them, actually, a couple of months. We went on a mission, mission went bad, they thought I died, I didn't, ended up in a coma and amnesia. After two years, I got in touch with Xavier, and, well, I got my memories back. The rest is history."  
  
"Merde," Remy cursed again.  
  
"Remy, is there something you'd like to share with us?" Sarah raised her left eyebrow in an amused smirk.  
  
"Remy no' on real good feet wit' 'm. Remy used ta work fo' ol' Mags," Remy kept his eyes fixed upon the approaching jet.  
  
"O boy, you are in for it now," Marianne whistled, "I'll be getting off of your case now. You'll have plenty of 'm on it. But as long as it's 'used to work' and not 'working', it's fine with us."  
  
It was true, they had had mutants in their house who had killed humans, hell, she had killed humans. Only Michael knew that, though, he and the professor, no one else. Pasts didn't matter, the safehouse was where you left your past and started to built a future. Living in the safehouse, however, was all about 'here and now', because tomorrow could be shit. Tomorrow, the FOH could come charging in, tomorrow, one of them could die on a mission, but that was tomorrow and not today. They didn't ignore it, they were prepared for tomorrow, but they didn't dwell on it. That was a one way ticket to insanity-ville.  
  
"Someone up dere doesn' like Remy too much," the Cajun groaned as he flopped down.  
  
"Look on the bright side, the someone up there is not alone," Sarah shrugged with a smirk still in place.  
  
"Sarah!" Marianne scolded, "play nice! Now, this will be the first time I see my friends again in an entire year, and except Logan, none of them have met you face to face, you excepted, Remy, so please, don't do the 'open mouth, insert foot' routine."  
  
They were quite familiar with that routine, especially Tank and Ben, Sarah only did that when she was angry, Marianne when she was too busy to pay attention to what she was saying and Michael, well, he was blunt, but not tactless. She didn't really have an idea about Remy, he gave all the 'Shadow-vibes', but something told her there was more to him, that what he did, he did with a reason. Shadow, well, thinking about what he did happened after a good scolding.  
  
The jet landed, and opened up. The first one to come out was Rogue, she froze dead in her tracks when she saw who was standing among the small group waiting for them.  
  
"Swamprat!" a near frozen whisper found its way over her lips, her tone dripped with venom.  
  
"Good ta see y' too chere," Remy managed an embarrassed smile while scratching his head. 


	4. Welcome to hell

Fighting Destiny – Welcome to hell  
  
Marianne was seriously thinking about running screaming from the safehouse. She thought refugees were difficult to get settled, well, having Rogue and Remy in one room without Rogue gutting him and Remy irritating her was even more difficult.  
  
"Welcome to hell," she muttered as she observed the bickering and bantering between the two Southerners, "if we're depending on those two to help save earth, well, I'll just take the easy route with the same destination and just let happen what we're trying to prevent."  
  
"And what made you so bitter, child?" her mutters were interrupted by the voice of Ororo Munroe.  
  
"Life. Safehouse. Doctor. No sleep last night. Take your pick. Now, I'm going to the hospital wing before I start decapitating. Mister McCoy, would you join me? I could show you around, we don't have as much fancy stuff as at the Institute, but I think it will make do," in her mind, Marianne heard only one thing: escape. If she had to hear yet another exchange between Remy and Rogue, and she would go nuts.  
  
Apparantly, Hank thought so too as he eagerly agreed to get out of the room.  
  
"What's the deal with Rogue and Remy? I mean, I felt homicidal towards him, but Rogue takes it to a whole new level," Marianne asked the blue doctor as she punched in the number of the floor on which the hospital was located.  
  
"Long story, he almost blew her hand of, kidnapped her so she could help him in saving his adoptive father," Hank grinned at her.  
  
"Sounds like someone we know, except the 'blowing the hand of'," Marianne grinned as she walked through the empty halls. She showed Hank into the hospital they had, it was true, it wasn't as fancy as the med-lab, but they had everything they needed for a one woman hospital to run.  
  
"It looks perfect," Hank assured his former student.  
  
"You think? This is mainly for observations, the rooms behind this is the ICU, through here are the quarentaine rooms and down that side is the OR, across from the OR we have the X-Ray room and that was it, o no, the lab. Let's not forget the lab!" Marianne gave the man a quick tour of her domain, filling with pride as she saw Hank nod in approval. She knew it was slightly idiotic to want approval for something she had been working in efficiently for the past year, but still, Hank's opinion carried a lot of weight. He had been one of the first who showed her how she could help, and indirectly, he was the one who had a great part in her decission to become a doctor.  
  
She watched Hank as he looked around the lab, as he looked at the tests she had been running the past few weeks, with her permission, she looked down at her hands. Still unable to fight with her hands, to use her body correctly in battle. Her powers, they came natural now, her mind had been fully adjusted to the power it held. She still had days that she had a little less control, but everyone had those.  
  
After Hank was done investigating the lab, she led him to his room, which was on the floor above the hospital. The only bedroom on the hospital's floor was her temporary one, if she needed to rest for a couple of hours before returning to her work.  
  
While roaming through the empty halls, not really needed yet, she would tomorrow, when the training started. Not now, now was a day off. The first one since she began.  
  
Marianne thought back to what Ororo had asked her: was she bitter? No, was she? No, no way. Irritated, yes, without a doubt. Who wouldn't be? Okay, so perhaps she was a little bitter.  
  
"Hey!" she exclaimed as she felt someone grabbing her and then phasing... wait, phasing?  
  
"Kitty!" Marianne yelled as soon as she was through the wall, "Don't do that!"  
  
"Like, Marianne, we totally need your help," she motioned around the room, in which Marianne saw Rahne, Jubilee, Jean, Amara and Kitty.  
  
"Okay," she looked around suspiciously, "I am not liking this."  
  
"We need your help," Amara started.  
  
"To play matchmaker with Gambit and Rogue," Jubilee finished.  
  
As Marianne tried to figure out who 'Gambit' was, Jubilee and Amara started to bicker over the fact that Amara could finish her own sentences. Finally, she figured out that they were talking about Remy.  
  
"O no! Nonononono! No way! Not this lifetime nor any after this one! Not a chance in hell!" Marianne began to object forcefully.  
  
"But, like, Marianne!" Kitty whined.  
  
"No, Kitty. I am not a matchmaker. You need Joey for that. Do you know in how many little bits and pieces we would end up in if Rogue even finds out that we even talked about this? I wouldn't even be able to count it! And I can count a lot!" Marianne argued with a fire that reminded the others of someone fighting for her life, as she began to slowly back away, cursing her bad luck. The curses became louder as all the girls ganged up on her with perfect puppy-dog-eyes. Why her?!  
  
"Okay! Okay! Just stop with the routine, please! I'l help, okay, I'll help! Under a lot of objections, though, not willingly and the minute it goes wrong, I'll say 'I told you so, but would you listen?'. Now leave me alone! I'll help, but I won't come up with anything, you have my assistance and I'll cover for you guys, but my job doesn't go any further then that," she put her hands in front of her as if to shield them of and made a dash out of the room as the girls started to cheer. Never before, had she gotten so quickly to her room.  
  
"Something wrong, Anne?" Michael just came out of the bathroom.  
  
"Hell, we're in hell. I'm not joking Michael! This is soooo not happening," Marianne burried her head in her pillow.  
  
"Come on, it can't be that bad, I thought you'd be happy to see your friends again," Michael sat down behind her, his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.  
  
"It is that bad, and my female friends are the cause of it, Rogue not counting," she didn't look up.  
  
"Tell me about it," he told her, using the voice he used when they brought in new refugees, before he explained the rules to them. The 'I understand, it's shit, but you're listening to what I have to say' kind of voice.  
  
"They," meaning Kitty, Amara, Jubilee, Rahne and Jean, "forced me into helping them set Remy, who they call Gambit, up with Rogue. They went all puppy-dog-eyes on me! All five of them!"  
  
"Ah, when Rogue finds out, they're in for it. Remy and Rogue have issues," Michael grinned, luckily for him, Marianne didn't see it.  
  
"Well, he used to work for Magneto, while working for Magneto he almost blew Rogue's hand apart. Later he also kidnapped her to save his dad, issues doesn't begin to describe it," Marianne slowly turned her head towards him, "I am severely tempted to spend the rest of the day inside of our room."  
  
"Well then, let's just do that then," Michael nodded, "untill dinnertime. Tank and Sarah are cooking. They're going to need a referee in the kitchen."  
  
Marianne winced: the last time Tank and Sarah had prepared a meal, half of the kitchen didn't survive due to their ongoing bickering. 


	5. Hell hath no fury

Agent-G: Well, I'm as romantic as a dead tree, so the Remy/Rogue pairing has no other purpose then the bickering between the two, which I think is delightful.  
  
Fighting Destiny – Hell hath no fury...  
  
It was pure and utter chaos, a massacre with one, innocent victim.  
  
In the left corner of the kitchen, you could see Tank sitting, obviously sulking, in the right corner, Sarah was doing exactly the same. The rest of the kitchen was nearly destroyed in a struggle between the two. In the middle, there stood an infuriated Marianne, arms crossed over her chest, het left foot tapping impatiently while exchanging glares between the two of them.  
  
"How's everything in here?" Michael ventured into the kitchen after a while.  
  
"Remind me to never allow these two into the same kitchen ever again in their lives. It'll de the death of us," Marianne said, not even turning to look at him, just glaring at the two, would be, adults.  
  
"You've got my vote. I put in a call to Underground, but untill the precogs say that it's safe again, they're not coming back here and we're not getting a new kitchen unit," he walked in to investigate the mess Tank and Sarah had created.  
  
"We're not asking Underground for a new kitchen. These two are going to work together in making us a new kitchen, and untill they have, they will have to cook for themselves," Marianne's voice was cold enough to even give Bobby the chills. Michael winced: she was pissed, no, beyond pissed. He would rather have her pissed then in her current state.  
  
"But Mari..." Tank began to whine.  
  
"Not. A. Word. I thought I could trust you two in making a nice dinner for all of us. I thought I could trust you two to finally act like your age and stop bickering and destroying. I thought I could trust you two to be in a room alone without hell breaking lose. OBVIOUSLY I was mistaken," the silence that followed was deafening, "you two are going up against all the X-Men tomorrow on your own."  
  
"Ororo made dinner for us in the back-up unit," Michael offered.  
  
"Good, I'm hungry. Listen, if I even catch you two throwing glares at eachother, I will make sure you two are so sorry you'll never even think of fighting with eachother again in your entire life," with that, Marianne turned on her heels and stalked out of the kitchen. She may not be a physical fighter, in that mood, no one dared cross her.  
  
"At a time like this, I would say hell hath no fury but a woman scorned, but I believe that an angered Marianne is the worst fury one can ever face," Hank murmurred, having witnessed the scene.  
  
When Marianne entered the dining room, she was faced with yet another disaster: Remy and Rogue. Fortunately, they kept it with a verbal conflict.  
  
"Sit. Down," Marianne all but barked, shooting a glare at the two. For this time, Remy decided to be wise and actually do as he was told and take his chair.  
  
"Where are Tank and Sarah?" Sam finally worked up the courage to ask.  
  
"Those two are acting their age and eating apart from the adults until they prove that they can get through a meal without fighting," Marianne said, while calming herself: the ones in the room had nothing to do with her source of irritation.  
  
The impending danger, or doom, as the precogs named it, had left her nerves frazzled. And the constant fighting between two of her friends only served to agrevate it. Normally, Michael would keep one of them at the base during a rescue and retrieve mission, but Marianne knew that now, that wouold not be possible. They would need everyone they could get.  
  
"I have heard from Logan how this base looked, but I fear words did not do it justice," Xavier started a conversation after a while.  
  
"Yes, we are quite proud of what we achieved. Most of the things here were sent to us by mutants we rescued, it operates very well," Michael said, he wasn't the most social one, but this silence was uncomfortable and he was thankful for Xavier to have started the conversation, "the training room is based on your Danger Room, Ben has proven to be very capable of programming training simulations."  
  
"I just enjoy tormenting," Ben grinned, indicating he was joking.  
  
"He has some interesting simulations. I think they could teach the kids a thing or two," Logan added, his statement resulted in groans through out the X-Men group.  
  
"The hospital wing is equally impressive, it is almost a miniature hospital. You say you keep it running on your own?" Hank then asked Marianne. As she replied, it was the sign for everyone it was safe to speak again, and in some cases, to breathe as well.  
  
Soon, the entire group was talking and laughing, the tense atmosphere calming.  
  
"Are all Underground bases like this?" Scott asked Michael, who was seated next to him.  
  
"No, they're all unique, this one is rather small compared to the main bases. But, to be honest, it is one of the best working ones, as I have heard," Michael grinned at the shades sporting man.  
  
Marianne had to admit she had missed Ororo's cooking, even though the meals that were served in the safehouse were tasteful, sometimes elaborate, depending on the occasion, in Marianne's mind there was nothing like Ororo's food.  
  
After dinner, Marianne was pulled aside by Kitty.  
  
"Like, Marianne, we were thinking, could we like, put Rogue and Remy through one of those training sessions in that training room of yours? Together?" Kitty asked her.  
  
"I don't know, Kitty. I mean, they obviously don't like eachother, well, Remy likes anything in a metaphorical skirt, but Rogue can't stand him. She'll most likely kill him," Marianne tried to get out of it.  
  
"Like, don't you have one romantic bone in your body?!" Kitty whined, the others joined in.  
  
"She obviously likes him, she's just afraid to show it," Jean added her two cents, "What? No, I didn't peak, it's obvious!"  
  
"No! No way, not in this lifetime! You are not putting them in a room together!" Marianne still wasn't convinced.  
  
"Puttin' who in a room togethah?" Rogue suddenly appeared by the group.  
  
"Tank and Sarah! These," Marianne indicated around her, "are convinced that they are perfect for eachother and are thinking they could play matchmaker."  
  
Kitty looked at Marianne in amazement: she lied without even breaking a sweat! Though Kitty was thankful for the save, the next thing threw the save back in their faces.  
  
"Ah think it could work," Rogue said thoughfully, "if anythang, it'll help pass us tahme, rahght?"  
  
Marianne strongly resisted the urge to hit herself over the head and strangle Kitty: now she was involved in two matchmakings! And she really didn't want to be involved in it! 


	6. Finding out

Silver12: I had hoped Sarah was my own character, well, one of my best friends decided on her powers and name, personality is by my design (in this story), though. I am terribly, unbelievably sorry and that will have to do, since her powers have a role in the plot, I cannot change it and I can't change the name, that would be an awful lotta work. And I'm happy you're happy that there is a new chapter. LOL. I swear, I had no idea Sarah already existed. Then again, I recently found a story starring a Marianne, but hey, I'm not complaining.  
  
Agent-G: Hey, you gave me an idea for side-story, LOL. I do agree, however, she needs a vacation, but I think it's logical how she reacts. I mean, she is not a strong physical fighter, almost everyone of her friends is going to fight this thing that is going to happen, it could mean the end of the world, four members of the team (Remy/Rogue and Sarah/Tank) don't seem to be able to stand eachother and to top it all of: she had now become part of two matchmaking sceams in which she really doesn't want to be involved. Is this surprising anyone? But I don't think she'll kill anyone.  
  
Fighting Destiny – Finding out  
  
Marianne began to figure out how people felt on family Thanksgiving, when the whole family came over. She would be surprised if she survived the stress alone, not even adding the danger. She was still not happy with either Tank or Sarah, and now, she was supervising an all out training battle between Remy and Rogue.  
  
"I was right, they are going to kill eachother," Marianne winced as she saw Rogue kick Remy in a VERY uncomfortable spot. Watching it made even Tank wince, who was invulnerable and the rest of the men present crossed their legs with a grimace on their face.  
  
"They're, like, doing good, right?" Kitty asked nervously.  
  
"Yes, they are doing good," Marianne turned to face her, "if they were meant to go against eachother! This is a team exercise, they are supposed to take out the drones, not eachother."  
  
"Oops," Kitty ducked her head.  
  
"Oops indeed," Marianne nodded, hoping that perhaps this would prove that Remy and Rogue just couldn't stand eachother, then she had one down and one to go.  
  
'I need to learn to keep my mouth shut,' Marianne told herself, if she hadn't made up the whole 'Sarah and Tank matchmaking', she wouldn't have half as much trouble.  
  
"You zhink Remy will be able to have kids?" Kurt wondered.  
  
"God, I hope not. Poor kids if they take after their mom, if he'll ever get a wife, poor world if they take after him," Michael chuckled, "Okay, that will be enough. End program, Kurt, could you get your sister out of there and take her to the hospital wing? Marianne will patch up the scrapes there. Remy will have to walk."  
  
Marianne cringed at the thought of her being alone in a room with Rogue, she hoped Rogue wouldn't figure out what was going on. Marianne was actually quite attached to being alive, Rogue finding out would not improve her life. She quickly made her way to the hospital wing.  
  
"Whay was Ah put in the trainin' room with that damned swamprat?!" Rogue immediately demanded when she saw Marianne enter.  
  
'Okay, make up a believable fib right now' the spoken to ordered herself: "Well, Ben figured, since your powers are practically opposit, it would come in handy to put the two of you on the same team. You do know you were supposed to take on the drones, not eachother? The others will start to believe you have a thing for him."  
  
"Ah do not! He's a damned, cocky, skirt chasin', lyin', cheatin', thievin' swamprat!" Rogue looked at her with an incinerating glare.  
  
"I hear you, I hear you, and I have to agree with you on what you said. He'll go after everything that he considers to wear a skirt," Marianne nodded, while putting some bandages on the larger cuts, "tomorrow, though, I want you to work together with the entire team and teach Sarah and Tank that they shouldn't destroy any Underground property with their antics."  
  
"Yeah yeah, ya're really mad at 'm, aren't ya?" Rogue got out off the chair she had been seated in.  
  
"This is the third kitchen they blew apart. I have every reason to be 'really mad' at them. If they weren't so capable, I would have half a mind to have at least one of them transferred. Tank's invulnerabilty comes in handy when there's a dangerous mission, and his strength, well, it's always practical. Sarah's ability to manipulate the elements is rather neat to, especially in combination with Michael. She can create 'bullets' for him to use, so he won't have to demolish furniture. Only downside is that the element has to be present," Marianne nodded and then sent Rogue out, to let Remy in. Rogue glared at him as the passed eachother.  
  
"Aw, chere, don' be mad wit' Remy, alt'ough, y' look tres belle when y're mad," he flirted, before being backhanded by the Southern Belle.  
  
"One day, Remy, one day, you'll have to learn and understand the meaning of the word 'no', and also figure out when a girl is not interested," Marianne shook her head as she half dragged the tall Cajun in to patch him up too.  
  
"No? Remy don' even t'ink de words exists, and every fille is interested in Remy, dey jus' don' show it. Yeowch!" he cried out as Marianne tugged a bit too hard with the bandage, "Dough dere are exceptions to enforce de rule," he wuickly added at that.  
  
"See, you're already learning, smart boy, I knew you had it in you. Now, do you want some candy from the doctor, or a nice picture?" Marianne mockingly asked, she even didn't ask the children this, but she just felt like annoying the Cajun.  
  
"Chocolate fo' de femme would be nice, non?" Remy grinned at her.  
  
"Then you'll have to walk to town, 'cause we're fresh out. Now, I want you out of the hospital wing and I don't even want to hear that you caused any trouble, because if I do find out, me being angry with Tank and Sarah won't be anything compared to me being angry with you, comprends?" she placed her right hand on her hip, and looked at him, the gleam in her eyes told Remy she was not joking.  
  
"Oui!" he said, before making himself scarce.  
  
"I take back what I said, this is not hell," Marianne groaned as she sat down in one of the chairs, "this is worse."  
  
Michael was at the moment very happy with the decission of Tank and Ben to open a bar like thing in one of the rec-rooms. It helped in unwinding those of drinking age while the others were taught how to shoot some pool by Sarah. Michael himself had taken up a corner of the room and observed the X- Men. Well, Xavier wasn't drinking, but he was talking with Logan about what could be going on, Hank wasn't there. Apparently, he had found the small library, all books there were gifts from people they had helped out.  
  
In his mind, Michael was running over possible scenarios of what would await them so they could face them prepared, but he found that there was too much to account for. As the night proceeded, more and more people went of to find their beds untill only Michael was left with Tank and Logan.  
  
"I think I'll go get Marianne and get some sleep myself," he stood up after a while and walked out of the rec-room, he wandered through the empty, half lit corridors. He remembered a particular stressfull time when Underground had busted several labs and freed the mutants within those facilities. Many of them had been forced to sleep in these halls, as a result of too few beds. Not that they minded, they were happy they had been freed.  
  
Michael entered the bospital wing to find Marianne occupied behind a computer screen, a worried frown on her face as she clicked and typed frantically.  
  
"Something wrong, Anne?" he asked, standing in the doorway.  
  
"I think I found out what's going to happen..." came her whispered reply, as she turned to face him. All colour had drained from her face, she looked strained and her eyes looked as if she was ready to break down and cry.  
  
.  
  
A/N: sorry for the short chappie, but hey, two in one day, so that will compensate, won't it? 


	7. Telling

Agent-G: well, ofcourse I'm right, there has to be a first for everything and I know I'm evil. I have a real mean streak, I think I proved that in Just a Girl, where I left the lot of you hanging. And the cliff-hanger, well, let's just say I live to annoy my younger sister.  
  
Fighting Destiny - Telling  
  
"What's wrong? You said you found out what's going to happen?" Xavier looked at the two young people in fron of him. Marianne and Michael had woken him, Logan, Ororo, Tank, Sarah and Ben up upon Marianne's revalation, but even Michael hadn't been told what was about to happen.  
  
"I don't know if you are all familiar with 'side-dimensions'. What I found out is related to that theory, and it might prove the theory to be true in the most disastrous way possible. The reason why the precogs can't give us details, is because there are too many variables flooding in from these 'side-dimensions'. The dimension in which we exist has become unstable, a rift is forming and, to be honest, I don't know if we have the capability to stop it from ripping this dimension apart," Marianne said, her hands clasped tight together on her lap.  
  
"What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Logan demanded to know.  
  
"There is a theory," Marianne looked at Hanks, as is asking for approval to continue, Hank nodded, "that we started out in one dimension. But with every major choice, it split. Like with the second world war, there could be one in which the nazis were never defeated, or with Apocalyps, there could very well be one in which he was never released and one in which he wasn't defeated. Our dimension is then most likely to hang between those two extremes. These two extremes have, for some reason, begun to pull, as it were, at our dimension. This is causing the instability, the rift."  
  
Silence decended upon the group as they took in the information.  
  
"How did you come to this?" Ororo finally asked her.  
  
"I honestly don't know, I was just sitting here and suddenly, it was as if someone whispered it into my mind, so I started to investigate the possibility. What I found out proved that this is far too real a chance," Marianne spoke up, "but I also know that, even though the chance to repair this rift is small, there has to be a way, I don't know how, but I just know we can't give up."  
  
"No one's givin' up, we just hafta pull our act together and find a way to prepare for this," Logan had a bitter grin on his face: so, no enemies to beat, but still their world was at stake.  
  
"Have you, by any chance, located this rift?" Hank asked, a thoughtfull look in his eyes.  
  
"No, I'm afraid I haven't as of yet. It is only just beginning and as we have no data on this event, I can't make a real prediction. I have the belief, though, that this will happen with anomalies and strange energy readings, so the government will be on top of it. All we have to do is create an uplink with the Pentagon or something and we'll find out just when it's going to happen," Marianne shrugged slightly.  
  
"I'm on that hacking first thing in the morning," Ben yawned, he seemed remarkably unfazed by the whole news, but that would come when he woke up tomorrow. One after one, the group returned to their rooms, untill only Tank, Logan, Marianne and Michael were there.  
  
"What are ya goin' ta do?" Logan asked as Tank got up, he had earlier stated there was no way he could sleep now.  
  
"Well, since everyone has to believe in something, and in light of current events, I believe I'm going to get a beer," Tank said, before making his way to the 'bar'/rec-room.  
  
"How on earth are we supposed to face this?" Marianne allowed herself to break down, well, allowing was not much to it. She was breaking down.  
  
"Just like we face every other thing that comes across. Head on and prayin' that we do it right. It worked so far. Logan, I still want the X-Men to train, we don't know what anomalies we'll come across and with the entire Underground out of the country, we have very little protection for the mutants against the haters. And even though this has come across, I don't think the haters know this and somehow, I think that even if they knew, they would find a way to pin the blame on us mutants," Michael grinned.  
  
"Wouldn't have it any other way, bub," Logan got up, "an' I'm gonna go an' join Tank in his believes."  
  
Marianne motioned to get back to the computer, but was deftly intercepted by Michael, who was adament about her coming to bed. In the end, he swung her over his left shoulder to carry the kicking and hitting Marianne of to bed.  
  
~*Next day*~  
  
"I really don't think we can do that," one of the conspirators objected, "you saw what they did yesterday. Putting them on the same team permanent would end up in one very dead, or at least seriously maimed Cajun thief and a very pissed of Rogue, pissed of at us, mind you."  
  
Yes, you are correct, Marianne was once again trying to prevent Kitty, Jean, Jubilee, Amara and Rahne from doing something that they would regret for the rest of their lives. Which means: trying to knock the sense into them that Rogue and Remy were completely wrong for eachother and not meant to be matched up.  
  
"Like, it was only a first try. They would, like, totally, be perfect, once they find out," Kitty brought on the over-used argument, of which Marianne didn't see any reason.  
  
"The first try almost ended up in Gambit being killed, it would have if Michael hadn't called the trainingexercise off. I mean, we have a world catastrophe on our hands here, don't you think that matching these two up seems slightly unimportant in light of recent events?" Marianne once again tried to appeal to the sense of common reason, but apparently, in this matter, that reason had even abandoned Jean.  
  
"Hey, you come up with another matchmaking idea on your own, chica," Jubilee spoke up.  
  
"THAT was NOT my idea. That was a desperate attempt to save our lives from Rogue's fury, and if she finds out, of which I'm still convinced, and she kills me, I'll come back to haunt all you who survived," Marianne groaned and burried her head in her hands.  
  
In just a couple of days, her life had gone to hell, and all because of the X-Men err... Woman... whatever. Who on earth decided they were the good guys?! They were at the moment trying to rob her of the little sanity she had left!  
  
"Gals, Logan sent meh ta get ya all. We've got trainin'," Rogue came in to save Marianne and when the five conspirators and tormentors of Marianne's sanity, Marianne jumped up and hugged Rogue.  
  
"Thank you Rogue! I owe you my life!" she called out after she let go. Rogue stared slightly bewildered at Marianne, before shaking her head.  
  
"So, ya've got a plan ta match up Tank an' Sarah?" she asked with a mischevious grin on her face.  
  
"OUT!" was the only reply that she got, together with a couple of pillows thrown after her. Rogue made the quick and wise decission to disappear.  
  
"Mental note," Marianne groaned when she was sure that she was alone, "never. I repeat: NEVER invite all the X-Men over at the same time, no matter what. If Apocalypse comes back, if the earth is about to explode, just don't do it and save yourself the trouble."  
  
~*Training Room*~  
  
"No way! Ah am not teamin' up with that lyin', cheatin', thievin' swamprat again!" Rogue objected vehemently.  
  
"Yes ya are, Stripes, you were late and the others already got their couples," Logan crossed his arms and fixed her with a glare.  
  
She looked around to see that it was true. Jean and Scott, Jubilee and Bobby, Kitty and Sam, Kurt and Ray, Amara and Roberto, even Tabitha and Rahne had teamed up. Tabitha had returned a couple of months ago.  
  
"Fahne, but if the swamprat's dead, it ain't mah fault," Rogue warned before joing the others.  
  
"Ah, chere, y' wound Remy," Remy pretended to be hurt while he fell in behind her.  
  
Suddenlt, Jean saw Rogue's eyes narrow, before she whirled around and planted a sollid blow to the Cajun's jaw.  
  
"Don't. Touch. Mah. Butt," she hissed as Remy stared up at her, slightly cross eyed.  
  
"An' what a fine butt it is," he grinned, causing Rogue to huff and stomp to the other side of the room.  
  
.  
  
A/N: for Agent-G and Damn-my-name-was-taken, ever wondered what would happen if Jeager, Marianne and Vincent actually were in the same world? Don't mind me, just had boring class, my mind is working funny. 


	8. A moment of peace

Agent-G: you've got my permission, use any character of mine you think you can use (even Shadow, just so Vincent can beat him up LOL), doesn't matter to me what you do, if it doesn't match with what I'm writing, you can always blame it upon that they are in a slightly different dimension. The plot of your story, however, slightly remembers me of Sliders, do you know that show? You have two younger brothers? I thought I had it bad with just one younger sister. The chapter rate is to blame on 1. boring classes, 2. lot of free hours between classes, but I think that it is appreciated, though...  
  
Fighting Destiny – A moment of peace  
  
The entire team was, at the moment, completely exhausted after several hours of training under Logan's and Ben's supervision. Marianne had tied Remy up with bandages and sedated him after he had finally irritated her enough with his constant teasing of Rogue, Tank was sprawled in his room, Sarah was in much the same state where as the X-Men were in one of the rec- rooms lying around like zombies out of Night of the Living Dead.  
  
Marianne had made her way to the attic of the safehouse and was at the moment busy going through boxes of stuff left at safehouse by their 'guests'. It was amazing how much dust could pile up after one year of not being used. The entire building above ground was actually not in use. The people in the town where they always got their food had been told that they housed people with mental problems, who needed support and love. It was believed, not one of them knew what really was going on, as they were a couply of hours away from the nearest town.  
  
She coughed as a cloud of dust took flight, creating an almost mystical vision by the light of the sun shining through the cloud. She took the lit off of a box and began to sort through the stuff. They really needed to get rid of a lot, the attic would become completely filled if they didn't.  
  
She took out a small box, small sea shells were stuck all over it in a fascinating pattern. The inside was lined with a soft, red velvet. It was a delicate little thing. Marianne decided that Ezra would appreciate it, she would have to ask the X-Men to take it along.  
  
"Hey," she suddenly heard behind her, she moved her head slightly so she could see Michael coming up the attic, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Enjoying some peace and quiet and cleaning the attic a bit," she shot him a smile.  
  
"Somehow, those two don't get along in my world. Anyway, do you want me to untie Remy? He has woken up from his sedation," he was now fully on the attic and sat down besides her, between three piles: keep, don't know and don't keep (A/N: that's how I clean my room at least).  
  
"He'll get himself out. He is a 'master thief', after all," Marianne shrugged, while dividing the contents of the next box over the three piles, "the others still down and out?"  
  
"That would be better then their current state. They really had a work-out. Man, Logan and Ben combined is sheer torture," Michael grimaced, he too had been in the training session, just to make sure that no one would be injured for too long a time. He, however, was more then used to that kind of abuse dealt out by the drones, to be honest, he usually had the simulations set on a higher level. He could sympathise with the X-Men, though, there had been a time he would be out like they were now.  
  
Silence decended in the attic as they started to work together on sorting the items. It all held many memories, some happy, some sad.  
  
"Look here! This is that dress you bought me for Halloween!" Marianne suddenly called out, she was quite the sight: streaks of dust over her face, her clothes had become grey by the dust and her hair was completely disheveled. She was standing in front of an old looking closet, pulling out a dress.  
  
Michael looked up and recognized it: a long, velvet, purple dress with long sleeves that flamed out passed tha elbows.  
  
"Put it on, we're having a party," Michael simply stated.  
  
"We are? I didn't know that," she turned around and raised her left eyebrow in a questioning look she had perfected over the years.  
  
"We are now. Everyone is tense, even though they're exhausted. That was quite a bombshell you dropped. I'll have Sarah sort through the music, Tank will gladly have bar duty and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like to make snacks," he shot her a grin, "and you are going to let everyone else handle it. You've been under enough stress as it is these past few days. Any more and you'll be spitting diamonds," the look in his eyes told Marianne that there was no way she could convince him otherwise and it was kind of nice to just let everyone else take care of it, so she agreed to it.  
  
The idea of the party was well recieved by everyone and Remy promised to behave, under threats of bodily harm by Michael.  
  
The part was taken outside, as it was already in the evening when everything was set up, it had gone rather quick, mainly because of Tank's strength and Ben's capability to re-connect all the equipment properly.  
  
Rogue, Sam, Kurt and Ororo had put themselves in charge of making the food, though Kurt was mainly busy with 'sampling', as he called it, or just plain 'stuffing his face' as Rogue put it.  
  
Sarah had been digging through the music collection they had to come up with something that would suit most of them.  
  
Jubilee, Bobby, Rahne, Ben and Tabitha were busying themselves with decorating the garden.  
  
"It's amazing," Marianne whispered as Michael let her out into the garden. It was the truth, the garden looked as if it had come straight out of a fairytale kingdom. There was a small, make-shift dancefloor next to the pond, on the lawn. Xavier, Ororo, Logan and Hank had located themselves on the porch where they could oversee everything and talk amongst themselves. Undoubtedly about the news Marianne had given.  
  
"I know, now, come. From now on, it's time to relax. I don't want you to worry about this whole dimensional crap, at least, not for this evening. You'll get yourself sick from all of this, and to be honest, you make on lousy patient," Michael led her towards a small group consisting out of Kurt, Rogue and Kitty. Kurt was at the moment grumbling about he wanted Amanda there.  
  
"Lahten (lighten) up Kurt, it ain't lahke y're the only one who had ta drop everythang. Not that Ah don't lahke bein' here, Marianne, it just was sorta short notice, ya know," Rogue scolded her stepbrother.  
  
"I know, don't worry. Michael forbade me to, we've had little time to talk. I've been so busy and you've getting settles. What do you say we catch up on things?" Marianne let out a joyful laughter.  
  
"Like, sure thing! It's so cool here, like you have this whole subterranean community," Kitty smiled broadly.  
  
Soon, the whole group of Marianne's closest friends had joined ranks around her and they were catching up on what they had all missed out on. Marianne laughed and joked with them, momentarily forgetting why they were there. From time to time, couple left the group to dance or get something to drink or eat, before rejoining them.  
  
It amazed Marianne that Remy and Rogue were actually being polite to eachother. Remy wasn't flirting with Rogue and Rogue wasn't calling him names. Marianne had the strong suspicion it had something to do with Michael.  
  
As she looked around and saw her friends interacting animatedly, she smiled softly, Michael was at the moment talking with Tank about something and she had found herself a chair with a view on the dancefloor. Apparently Tabitha had convinced Sam to dance with her, Kurt was at the moment dancing with Kitty, as they both had been forced to leave their respective girlfriend/boyfriend behind in Bayville and Scott was dancing with Jean, although there was no surprise there.  
  
Sarah was playing a song from Within Temptation, Marianne smiled at how much the title of the song fit with the moment: In Perfect Harmony. It was true, she mused, this moment seemed like everything was right, as everything was as it should be. The soft tones of the music merged with the calm atmosphere, the voice of the singer didn't break the soft sounds, rather it was equal to it.  
  
"Happy?" she was startled out of her thoughts by Michael sitting down next to her.  
  
"Completely," she nodded in reply. Yes, it was true, she was completely happy, the threat of tomorrow forgotten for the moment, the internal struggles in the team temporarily burried, all her friends were together and getting along. This was perfect. Her moment of peace. 


	9. Future plans

Agent-G: yes, you can really use 'm. In fact, I'm giving you (only you, others have to ask first) permission so that you won't have to ask when you feel like using any of my OC's, just gimme credit ;P . See, I trust you not to mutilate Marianne/Fantasy, Michael/Gun, Ben/Nova, Tank or Sarah/Gaia, don't really care much if you hurt Shadow, but do try to keep him alive, I've got something in store for him this story. I'm actually quite curious on how you would write my OC's...  
  
A/N: just a rant, you know that LOL (lol) is actually a Dutch word? It means fun, hardly onyone uses it anymore, though, at least not that I know.  
  
Fighting Destiny – Future plans  
  
"Empty... too old, smells bad... yukkie..." Jubilee stated with each item as she went through the fridge. A couple of days had past, and things had settled down so much that even Marianne was relaxed.  
  
At the moment, however, two problems were rising: 1. they were fress out of edible food, 2. they were getting bored, at least, everyone except Hank and Xavier, who had discovered the chess game.  
  
Boredom and young mutants, well, that is just an accident waiting to happen.  
  
"So, vhat are ve going to do?" Kurt looked around the table.  
  
"I, like, vote for mall," Kitty offered.  
  
"Aw, ya can' mean that Kitty," Rogue objected, going to the mall with Kitty, well, there was a thing she'd rather not do.  
  
"I don't know, Rogue, it could be a good idea," Marianne mused, "Well, someone has to get the groceries, and we'll have to use the jet to get to the nearest mall, but it can actually turn out to be fun."  
  
"Yeah, we wouldn't have to stick together," Tabitha added, grinning like the cat who ate the canary.  
  
"We'll need a place to hid the jet, and I don't think taking the jet as a means of transport for a shopping spree isn't what it was meant for," Scott thought out loud, that earned him a glare from everyone, including Jean, so he quickly shut up.  
  
"The jet can be hidden easily enough, you won't have to worry about that. Now, who will have to be sacrificed for the groceries?" Ben asked, looking at Michael and Marianne pleadingly: he hated getting the groceries.  
  
"Tank and Sarah," the two simultaniously said. Ever since their kitchen accident, the two had been doing their chored together, not by choice, but by force from Marianne and Michael, under the motto that that would teach them to work together.  
  
The threats were creative on both Marianne's and Michael's parts, as were the curses on Sarah's and Tank's. In the end, Michael and Marianne won.  
  
-At the mall-  
  
The group had agreed to meet back together at the centre fountain in three hours and had split up, so everyone could go to the shops they wanted to without any irritation from the others if it happened to be a shop they didn't like.  
  
"I don't think it was wise to bring Remy along," Marianne worried as she and Michael were walking through the huge mall. They had been there before, a couple of times and new where to go. Almost completely in the back, there was a small, used bookstore. They never left that mall without Marianne going in there.  
  
"Don't worry, what Remy does is his own problem, though I wouldn't shed a tear if Rogue dislocates a couple of his limbs," Michael snaked his arm around her waste and pulled her along with him towards a Starbucks (A/N: as I'm not American, I'm just taking this on reference).  
  
"Well, YOU wouldn't have to repair the damages done by Rogue, and we all know she can be... rather destructive towards Remy. I hope she doesn't break his legs, that would mean I'll have him in the hospital wing, o no, that wouldn't be good," Marianne shuddered at the thought of having the Cajun in her hospital wing for any period of time. Michael just laughed at this and went to get some drinks for the both of them.  
  
"So, what do you've got planned after all this?" Michael asked her as he came back.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" she shot up, looking at him in surprise, Michael chuckled: he had apparently caught in her a daydream.  
  
"After the whole 'dimensional rift'-thing, what are we going to do after that?" he grinned.  
  
"O, I don't know. A vacation would nice (A/N: this is for Agent-G). What do you think?"  
  
"I'll go with you on that, where would we go?"  
  
"We'd get a van and travel to see my brother in Canada first, and then just see where we wind up, see beautifull places, lots of wild animals and we'd worry ourselves sick on how the safehouse is fairing in our absence, but we'd have fun, and on our way back, we'd stop by the Institute for a week or so and then head back to the safehouse to find out everything is going perfect and that they don't really need us anymore," Marianne told him with a soft smile on her face while stirring her coffee, "and we'd leave."  
  
"And after that?"  
  
"Never got that far," she sipped from her coffee.  
  
"You seem pretty confident of the future for someone who thinks that tomorrow could very well be the end of it all," Michael questioned her.  
  
"You're also talking to the girl who's afraid she'll be swallowed up by her own illusions but wouldn't think twice about using it to protect someone else. They're only dreams, Michael, dreams to help keep the sanity in me. Lords knows I need it, now more then anything else. I know Tank, Sarah and Ben, I'm confident that they'll be able to keep the safehouse going, even without the two of us. They'll need a new doctor, they'll no longer have 'mom' and 'dad' to correct them, but everyone needs to grow up sometimes," the cup was raised to halfway of her face, her eyes peeked at him from just above the edge.  
  
"You know what, when this all is done, we're taking that vacation," Michael then promised her. Marianne smiled him her thanks.  
  
What she had said was the truth, she knew that if she would summon up a large illusion, chances were that the shielding that protected her mind from those illusions would fail. That was one of her worst fears: she'd become a vegetable. She knew the fear was irrational: she knew the limits, she knew how long she could keep the illusions tangible without straining herself so much that she would end up comatose, she knew how extensive she could create the illusions without them posing a threat to her, but rationality never stopped fear for her before. Hell, rationality never worked for her when she had her mind set on something.  
  
"So..." Michael started, "how are the matchmaking plans getting along?"  
  
Marianne just glared at him, a freezing, cold glare which would impress Bobby. Two days ago, she had had a very long, very serious talk with the conspirators. They were all pushing too hard, if they continued like this, someone would get hurt, and she wasn't talking about Remy.  
  
They had put together a set of rules of how far they could go. The shoving had been toned down to soft nudging, the plans of locking them up together in the same room, courtesy Kitt and Jubilee, had been shredded and then burned and the getting them drunk and dumping them in the same room, courtesy of Tabitha, had been tossed into an imagenary volcano.  
  
Tank and Sarah, well, Marianne had just pulled her hands off of that entire operation, even though, technically speaking, it had been her idea. Kitty had found out it was a sure way to find out what Rogue thought to be romantic and letting that precious information 'accidentally' fall in Remy's presence.  
  
-Three hours later, fountain-  
  
"O my," Marianne did a double take when she saw Rogue coming up to the fountain, apparently, she had found a lot of things to her liking, but she wasn't carrying half of it.  
  
"Well, if he's gonna follow meh 'round lahke a puppy-dog, he maht as well help meh by carryin' some o' the stuff," Rogue shrugged.  
  
"Man, you're not even her boyfriend and she's got you whipped!" Bobby broke down in a fit of laughter. Kurt just sent the Cajun a cold glare indicating that he clearly did not like the Cajun thief chasing after his sister.  
  
After another fifteen minutes, the rest was there and they headed back to the jet heavily packed with all their acquisitions. 


	10. First rift

Agent-G: thanks for the tip, I'll make sure to use it when they go on vacation. And yup, Rogue is a smart girl, so she was bound to figure that out. As for the 'doing them justice', I'm sure you will, hey, you're a great writer, I'm the one who should be honored that you're willing to use these OC's.  
  
Damn-my-name-was-taken: first off, a question that's been bugging me: what would that name be that was taken?! I haven't seen the second movie yet, but I will, some day. As for the married part, oh, well I don't know. They do know eachother long enough, don't they? Just haven't thought of it yet, thanks for bringing it under my attention.  
  
Fighting Destiny – First rift  
  
There just had to be a rule against it, and otherwise, someone should think up one. You just could not wake up someone who's supposed to save it earth in the middle of the night. It just wasn't humane. And someone had to have a VERY long talk with Ben about tying the alarm system in with the computer was was searching for anomalies. It was simply not pleasant to be awakened by a siren going of full blast.  
  
"Merde, dat one wake-up call," Remy came stumbling into the livingroom.  
  
"That, like, better not happen again," Kitty whined from the couch she had taken possession of.  
  
"Or else I'll shove up one of my cherry bombs somewhere where daylight won't reach it," Tabitha glared at Ben, who gulped.  
  
The entire group, minus Marianne, Michael, Xavier, Ororo, Logan and Hank was in the livingroom, the others were currently analysing the data.  
  
It seemed to take hours before they finally joined the team in the livingroom and Logan broke the news: "Good news and bad news. The bad news is that a small rift has formed."  
  
"And, like, what's the good news?" Kitty asked him, hoping that by some miracle, it would close on it's own.  
  
"That's also the good news, I'm afraid," Hank filled her in.  
  
"Okay, we're going to have to form two teams. One stays here, in case another one opens, and the other goes. Michael, Logan, Scott, I'll leave you two to form the teams, you're better at this," Marianne sat down on the couch and observed the others. This would be it, now, they would find out if they had the capability to stop these rifts from ripping apart their dimension. If they wouldn't be able to stop this small one, they would stand no chance against the big one.  
  
Finally, two teams were made. Scott would be in charge of the 'home-team' and Michael of the one that went out. Michael's team consisted out of Sarah, Rogue, Kurt, Sam, Remy, Amara, Jubilee, Ororo and Marianne. The last one was a surprise for everyone except Michael and Marianne. She had clearly stated she needed to run some tests on the rift so that they could actively search for these rifts and find them with more accuracy. After Marianne had insured them that she wouldn't be in any direct danger of being killed, that there was no building that could explode with her in it and that she wouldn't stay behind no matter what, the X-Men grudgingly agreed to her being part of the team.  
  
The rift was located in Texas, luckily not near civilization or anything like that. The damage such a thing, even a small one, could do, it would be horrendous in a city. They would have to close it quickly, if Hank's calculations were correct, which they most likely were, a small rift could grow into a large enough one to disrupt the dimension, causing more and more rifts. If she could now only come up with an idea to close the rift, that would be fun.  
  
Marianne took a look at the laptop, it had been enhanced so it could take in the data of the anomalies the rift was creating. The entire flight over to the location of the rift had been downed in silence, it was unnerving. Everyone was anxious, for they had no way of anticipating what could happen once they reached it.  
  
She noticed that everyone was looking at her tensely, she shot them a nervous smile, ignoring the creepy deja-vu feeling that sent shivers down her spine. This time, she would not scare them, she would not get herself almost killed and most of all, they would all make it out without a scratch. Okay, so the scratch-thing was a bit optimistic, but she could always hope.  
  
"Ve're here," Kurt suddenly announced as he started the landing sequence.  
  
If possible, everyone tensed up even more as the preparede to leave the jet.  
  
"I don't know what's to expect, but be prepared for anything," Michael warned them, "Nightcrawler, you're task is to get anyone out who's in trouble. Cannonball, you're staying with Fantasy and make sure she doesn't get hurt and gets her data on the rift. The rest, we're going to try and close that rift."  
  
"For which you'll need my data. We can't go in blasting our way through," Marianne walked up to Michael, "Gun, let me try and figure out what this is first. If anyone does something without knowing the effects, it could very well end up destroying us all."  
  
"Now that wouldn't be good," Sarah grinned sarcastically.  
  
"No Sarah, Ah think the end of the world as we know it wouldn't be good at all," Rogue rolled her eyes.  
  
"Would ya shut up?! I know that!" was hissed in return.  
  
"Ladies, ladies, Remy enjoy a good catfight any day, but not when de end o' de world could be near!"  
  
"That might be the first sensible thing I heard from you the entire time you've been with us. O. Dear. Lord," Marianne trailed of as they came out of the jet. It was night, but the results of the dimensional rift was clearly visible. Some of the earth was compressed by grave gravitational pressure, while through other areas, it appeared as if lightining was constantly striking the ground. It was not the worst though, some part were consumed by darkness where as others were simply disappearing.  
  
"This is actually worse then Gaia and Tank in the kitchen," Jubilee looked around, wide eyed.  
  
"Is it too late to say I really prefer to be on the hometeam?" Amara joked weakly.  
  
"Imagine this happenin' in a city," Rogue whispered, her hand coming over her mouth.  
  
"Cannonball, we're going in," Marianne turned around to the Southern boy, he nodded, his face set stern.  
  
"Be carefull, both of you," Michael told them with an emotionless voice, Marianne knew him well enough to know that he was scared out of his mind.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll be fine, I'll be back in no time to tell you guys how to close this damned thing," Marianne gave him a comforting smile and took of with Cannonball.  
  
It was worse then an obstical course from Logan's manufacturing, Sam decided. Apocalyps hadn't scared him as this did: at least Apocalyps had a face, this rift didn't.  
  
"Look out! Left! Lightning on the left!" Marianne suddenly cried out, Sam quickly corrected.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her after they had steered clear from the lightning.  
  
"Next time, we're going over this all. It almost hit me!" Marianne exclaimed, shock audible in her voice, "STOP!"  
  
Sam managed to stop in the nick of time, one of the patches of disappearing land had expanded to right in front of them. He really didn't wanted to know what would happen if even a part of him came even in contact with it.  
  
Marianne was having the hardest time calming her nerves, she really had to ask Ben if he could put something into the laptop that would enable her to stay away from the rift and get her data. Suddenly, being forced into matchmaking plans by the girl for Rogue and Remy didn't seem so bad. No, not bad at all. In fact, she would rather be doing that right now.  
  
Almost there, they were almost there, and the rift looked a thousand times scarier then anything caused by it.  
  
"You know, I think I just found where the Boogy Man comes from," Marianne said in horror as she watched it. It was as if the air itself had ripped open and energy was sizzling around, blindingly bright. Marianne moved in closer, but was thrown down by Sam, as she looked up to see why, she saw a bright wave of pure energy forming in, what appeared to be the centre of the rift, her only real thought was: damn, this is going to HURT.  
  
As it hit them, Marianne felt as if her skin was burning, she felt hot tears trickling down her face and heard someone cry out in pain, she didn't know wether it was her or Sam. As soon as it started, it stopped, and so did the pain.  
  
"Please God, don't let me be dead, I really like being alive," Marianne whispered as she got to her feet.  
  
'I assure you, you aren't dead,' she suddenly heard in her voice.  
  
"What the..." Marianne looked down to see if Sam had said anything, but he was in a trance-like state.  
  
'Well, this was certainly unexpected,' there was the voice again, 'don't ask questions, there is no time. You want to know how to close the rift? I'll tell you, but quickly, and get wonderboy down there up.'  
  
"Okay, I've got a bossy voice in my head, just got hit by a wave of blue energy coming from a dimensional rift and why am I not surprised? Really, something just always has to go wrong, great, now I'm talking to myself. Well, Marianne, you have now most certifiably lost it, welcome to Loony- ville," she grumbled as she turned to Sam, "Sam, Sam, wake up please. Sam! There is no way I'm carrying you out of here! A gentleman should not ask a lady this. Come on Sam, wake up."  
  
'From your memories, a slap in the face should help,' the voice added.  
  
"What are you doing in my memories! Keep you... your voice out of that!"  
  
'I'm in your head, what else is there to do? I can't get out,' it added dryly.  
  
Marianne sighed and gave up, slapping the boy in the face, that seemed to snap him out of it.  
  
"What happened?" he looked up at her, "are you okay?"  
  
'I've got a voice in my head, ofcourse I'm not okay,' she wanted to say, but instead, "considering the circumstances, I'm just fine. Now, do you think you can get us out of here?"  
  
The boy nodded.  
  
"Then lead on," Marianne helped him get up and they left quickly.  
  
'So, how to close a rift,' the voice started again, 'you can just think your thoughts, by the way, I can hear them just fine that way. Fill it up with energy, it'll overload and that should do the trick. It'll snap back in place like a rubberband.'  
  
'And how would you know this so surely?' Marianne asked the voice, being a bit skeptical, and generally not so happy with this sudden 'guest' in her head.  
  
'Simple, my kind lives between these dimensions, as you call them. Your dimension isn't really meant to be destroyed, something went a bit haywire, so they sent me to help out.'  
  
'And you just had to get in my head to do this? If you haven't noticed, I'm not really the strongest one around here,' Marianne still didn't believe it.  
  
'You and Sam were closest and easiest to reach, so I had to pick between the two of you, since you actually almost know what's happening, you were the obvious choice. I wasn't supposed to get stuck, though,' the voice seemed a bit put out at this.  
  
'Well, then you shouldn't have picked me, things tend to gow a tad bit wrong when I'm involved.'  
  
'No shit, Sherlock.'  
  
'Hey! Be nice! You're, aw damn. You're not a guests 'cause I can't kick you out. Just please promise me you won't take over and go after my friends.'  
  
'Even if I wanted that, I wouldn't be able to.'  
  
With that, the conversation ended and Marianne snapped back to reality just in time to see she was approaching the ones who had staid behind.  
  
"And?" Michael asked her.  
  
"The laptop is toast, that blue wave of energy roasted it," Marianne showed what was left of it, "However, if you put enough energy into it, it should overload and snap back into place."  
  
Michael gave her the look that promised they would have to talk later: "Okay, in that case, Gambit, Jubilee, Magma and Storm, you're going in, the rest of us can't really put energy into that rift enough. Will the anomalies cease ones the rift has closed?"  
  
'Good question, Voice?' Marianne asked the 'guest'.  
  
'Yes, they'll stop then and could you come up with a better name then 'Voice'? That sounds awfull.'  
  
'I'll see what I can do,' Marianne chuckled, "yes, they should stop."  
  
Michael motioned Remy, Ororo, Jubilee and Amara to move into the field, which left Rogue, Sarah, Sam, Kurt, Michael and Marianne to wait and see. Sam went to sit down with his back against the jet where as Marianne just lay down in the jet and pretended to sleep.  
  
"How are you," Michael asked her after a while, sitting down next to her.  
  
"That blue energy wave-thingy hurt, I have pain in places I didn't even know I have and I have a 'house-guest' who I can't kick out because she's stuck in my head," Marianne looked up at him, indicating that she wasn't joking around.  
  
"What do you mean?" he looked at her with worry.  
  
"Well, apparently, between dimensions, these beings exist, and one was sent through the rift to help us out. She told me how the rift should close. She's also quite rude," Marianne turned over on her stomache.  
  
'I am so not rude!'  
  
'You are, now shut up,' Marianne saw that Michael was thinking deeply about this, "If you want to, I'll let Professor Xavier talk with her. She says she can't take me over, even if she wanted to."  
  
"As soon as we're back, and we can't tell the others before Xavier has a look. How do you know it's a she?" Michael finally nodded.  
  
"I don't, but do you think I'd be comfortable taking a bath with a guy in my head. She's a she, end of discussion, please Michael, I'm tired, I'm hurting and I'm getting cranky, please, don't fuss," she rolled over again and this time, she did fall asleep.  
  
Michael sighed and got up, casting one glance at her before getting out, going to wait with the others. He just hoped that what that 'guest' in Marianne's head had told her was the truth.  
  
After about fifteen minutes, Michael began to sens a change in the landscape they were looking at: the disappearing patches slowly began to appear again, the darkness began to disappear, lightning faded and the gravitation appeared to slowly return to normal, the entire area still looked like a warground, however.  
  
After another five minutes, the group they had sent in was returning, They looked exhausted, and Kurt quickly teleported over to get them into the jet as fast as they could. After that, the rest quietly entered the jet, the flight home was once again silent, but this time because most of the people had fallen asleep or were deep in thought. 


	11. Thinking

Agent-G: Well, since they only got to the Cauldron here, I haven't seen much of Forge, I'm afraid, they started to do re-runs of the first season, we're now at the point of 'Turn of the Rogue', which is tomorrow *groan*. About music for the 'feeling' of writing: I usually listen to Gotham Radio while writing, gothic and metal, what kind of music do you usually listen to?  
  
Fighting Destiny – Thinking  
  
They didn't know what was happening, or why Marianne asked to speak with Xavier, nor why Michael was pacing in the hall way so nervously.  
  
"Like, Marianne was okay, right?" Kitty asked nervously while watching the door to the room in which Marianne had retreated into with Xavier a couple of hours ago, "I mean, she like, looked tired, but she's okay, right?"  
  
"Ah don' know, Jubes, she was actin' a lil off evah since she an' Sam got back. Perhaps she found somethin' out she needs ta told with the Prof. 'bout," Rogue shrugged.  
  
~*Inside the room*~  
  
"So, what do you think?" Marianne asked Xavier.  
  
"It is rather unique, but I believe the entity is telling the truth," Xavier nodded.  
  
'Ask baldy if he knows a way for me outta here,' Marianne heard the voice in her head.  
  
"She wants to know if you have a way to get her out of my head, and I have to admit I'm on her side with this," Marianne slightly refraised the question, while wondering why she had to get stuck in her head with such a smart-mouth.  
  
"Not without the possibility of damaging your mind and destroying the entity," he looked at her, she saw worries in his face.  
  
'No way! Being stuck in your head doesn't seem so bad now.'  
  
'Hey!'  
  
"She says, and again I agree, that she'd rather not take that risk," Marianne turned back to Xavier.  
  
"How are you holding up under all of this?" he then asked her.  
  
"O, not so bad, she's helped out in closing that rift. I'm just... I'm pretty tired and hurting because of that energy wave thingy. I'm guessing she used that to get into my head," Marianne smiled tiredly at him while rubbing her temples against the headache that was beginning to take root.  
  
'I did use that, but it was SUPPOSED to leave a way out,' the voice sulked, 'got a name yet?'  
  
'It's not my fault you picked me! Didn't you have a name in your dimension?'  
  
'We're pure energy, we don't need a name. Names are important to your kind. Besides, you already made me into a female and now I expect you to give me a name.'  
  
'Sjeesh, don't get all crabby. Name... name... I was never good at this,' Marianne wrecked her brains over thinking up a name for the entity, 'Emily,'  
  
'You're sure? That name was important to you.'  
  
'The person who wore it was important to me. My mom. You saved my life, my friends's lives, you risked a lot to get here, I figure, you deserve it. Now. You've got your name, so please, shut up,' Marianne was suddenly shook out of her conversation by Xavier calling her name.  
  
"I'm sorry, Emily was talking to me. She was quite adament about having a name. Now, if that was all, I'm tired, professor, I want to go and sleep. All the others who went, except Rogue and Michael have already gone to sleep," she smiled her apologies to Xavier, he nodded and motioned her to go. He could see she was tired, exhausted, actually and in his mind, he commended her on how she was holding up, considering the 'permanent house- guest', though he could sense she was under a certain amount of stress, but she was dealin with it well.  
  
"And?" Marianne was immediately assaulted by Michael as she set foot outside.  
  
"All is well in lala-land. Tomorrow, Michael, I'm tired, I ache all over and all I wanna do is find my bed and crawl into it for the next two days," she yawned to emphasize her statement, before heading of to her and Michael's room, closely followed by him.  
  
'You two are in love,' Emily suddenly stated.  
  
'Yes, we are, have been for three years now. Why? Is this strange to your kind?'  
  
'Actually, it is. You would die for him, without him. Doesn't it make you weak?'  
  
'You know, for such a smart-mouth, you don't know a lot of things. Love makes you stronger, any kind of love. In order to protect those you love with all your heart, you'll do otherwise impossible feats. Losing the person you love, it hurts, yes, but the love will remain, or turn into hate, depending on how you lost the person,' Marianne walked into the shower.  
  
~*With Xavier*~  
  
"So you're tellin' us the kid has an entity in 'r head from between these dimensions?" Logan looked at Xavier in disbelieve.  
  
"Yes, she has, I have been in her mind and have spoken with this entity. It seems truthful in its desire to help and that these rifts are not supposed to be happening," Xavier nodded.  
  
"And you cannot remove it?" Hank asked him.  
  
"Not without the risk of seriously damaging Marianne's mind, a risk I'm not willing to take. Neither is either Marianne or this 'Emily'. I think we should see what Emily wants, she has helped out. For now, we wait," Xavier decided and then wheeled out of the room.  
  
~*With Marianne and Michael*~  
  
She was sound asleep, but he couldn't. All he could was watch her and contemplate what had happened. She had said she ached all over, which meant she was hurting pretty bad, she never told them otherwise, unless when it was to get out of on of her training sessions.  
  
So he had failed to protect her, she had gotten hurt and he should have been there with her and he should have at least tried to protect her. No, he had to be 'mister leader' and sent her in with only one boy in order for her to get her data.  
  
"You know, this is exactly why I never want you to come on missions, and I mean this in the kindest way possible, but trouble has a way of finding you. When I know you're in the safehouse, I know you're as safe as a mutant can be, but when you were out there. God, I never was so terrified in my life. I think my heart stopped beating the moment you and Sam went into that field, only to start beating again when you came back," he whispered, brushing his fingers through her hair.  
  
He had been afraid before, afraid of losing his life, afraid of messing up, but never like this, and he hated it with a passion, being that afraid. It wasn't anything like the fears he had had before, this was more like fearing to lose his heart and soul. It was like that, he thought, in a way, Marianne was his heart and soul.  
  
He would have a fight with her tomorrow, when he would tell her she wasn't going along on another mission. She was a spitfire, fighting with her and winning was the hardest thing he knew. She would get mad, she would lash out and then storm off, sometimes even with tears in her eyes. That hurt the most, her lashing out, he could handle that, she was temperamental, she had fire in her soul, as Sarah put it, but the tears, he could not handle tears. Sometimes, he thought it was just a way to get back at him, but then probably Sarah would come storming in, Sarah, Ben or Tank, asking what the hell he thought he was doing and why they just saw Marianne storming down the hall near tears, and he knew she wasn't getting back at him. He had hurt her and he had been a jerk. Why was it always the guy's fault?  
  
Michael turned onto his back, his right hand remaining in Marianne's hair as he left settled over his eyes. Being with Marianne was the hardest and the best thing in his life. She challenged him every step of the way, daring him to do the best he could, he doubted she even knew she did this, but she also supported him in his decissions.  
  
"Damnit, Michael, you're an idiot, you know that. Why on earth don't you have a ring on her finger yet?" he muttered towards himself, but he knew why: no tomorrow, just today. Running the safehouse left very little personal time, very little time to think about these things, they were both too busy. But now, now he had more then enough time to think, too much time to think.  
  
The future, for an instance, what she had said in the mall had made him think and go over what Ben, Tank and Sarah had done over the past year. Marianne had been right: they could run the safehouse without their help. But could they just up and leave? Was that right? What would they do when they weren't needed in the safehouse anymore? Go get a real life? Settle down? No, that wasn't for them. He was like Marianne, he needed to be needed.  
  
Marianne would always remain a doctor and he would always remain one of the Underground. As much as he hated it, but at the moment, they needed people willing to fight for the survival of mutants and he was able and willing to fight. He still believed in the dream that one day, humans and mutants would live side by side, but for that dream to happen, they needed mutants to be alive to live side by side with humans.  
  
"This thinking isn't making me a happy man, I need sleep," Michael finally decided, rolling back onto his side, facing Marianne again, she was still asleep. 


	12. Fighting and making up

Agent-G: gothic music, uhm, well, I like Within Temptation, After Forever, Epica and then there is my favorite Nightwish. You have to have a taste for that kind of music. Nightwish's best cd, in my opinion, is Century Child, though the rest of them is also good. It's not that intense and loud.  
  
Damn-My-Name-Was-Taken: o-okay, you're scaring me now O_o (refering to review on chapter 2)  
  
Agent-G (review from 'I can't give up'): thanks, I am trying to make Marianne a 'real' person. Doubts, losing faith, stubbornness, it's all part of it. I'm really honored that you think it's good. Duck and Run has become one of my favorite songs, partially because of that story.  
  
.  
  
Fighting Destiny – Fighting and making up  
  
.  
  
"You're not coming along for the next rift," Michael stated once again, crossing his arms over his chest while looking at the woman in front of him.  
  
"I AM coming along. You'll need me," Marianne threw back, a defiant glare in her eyes.  
  
"No, you'll get hurt, I can't take that risk, Anne," he tried, appealing to her emotions. Wrong idea.  
  
"Don't you 'Anne' me mister! You can't play favorites, Michael, I have allowed you to keep me out of the rescue missions, I have allowed you to protect me, but that is a luxury we no longer have!" Marianne balled her fists, anger raging through her eyes and voice.  
  
"I don't care, Marianne, when you're at risk, I can't think straight. I don't care if I have to tie you up, you are NOT coming along," he was growing impatient: why couldn't she just see his reasons and stay behind?  
  
"And what about me? How do you think I feel, Michael? Every god damned time you go of to save others from labs. I saw one of those labs, Michael, I know what happens when you're inside and they set of the self destruction! I know what it's like to be caught under the rubble and to almost die, and every time you go out, I'm afraid, Michael. I am so god damned afraid that you'll go through the same thing. I'm so damned afraid that this time, there won't be someone from the Underground scouting through the rubble and find you, like they found me! You don't have Tank's invulnerability, you don't have his super human strength, you can very well die!" how dared he? Stopping her from doing what he did every chance he got? The anger inside Marianne was growing with every word she spat out at him.  
  
"I am better trained, Marianne, I know the risks and I can avoid them. You're not a fighter, you're a healer," Michael forced himself to remain calm: this was an argument he couldn't lose.  
  
"I have killed, what a healer I am. I also know the risks and I know that you can't avoid them. Otherwise I would never have to patch you up or keep you for nights in the hospital wing. This is life, Michael. It's full of risks and you ARE going to need my and Emily's help for the next rifts," with that, Marianne turned on her heels and stormed out of their room, but it was too late for Michael not to notice the tears that had formed in her eyes. His heart clenched at that.  
  
Marianne didn't notice that she almost ran into Sarah and Ororo, she didn't say anything, just kept running untill she was in the hospital wing. Hank was there in the lab and Marianne locked herself into one of the isolation rooms with her laptop, determined to write a program that could track down rifts before they actually began to cause damages. Emily quietly added her info, figuring that being cocky would now cause into an argument she really didn't want.  
  
~*With Sarah and Ororo*~  
  
"What was that about?" Ororo looked in the direction in which Marianne had run of to.  
  
"Collision of two very stubborn people who don't see eye to eye on the subject of Marianne's safety," Sarah grinned, "Michael and Marianne had a fight. Did you see tears in her eyes?"  
  
"I believe I did, why?" Ororo raised her left eyebrow.  
  
"Then it's time to have a talk with Michael. Coming with me?" Sarah thumbed into the direction Marianne had come from. Ororo nodded and followed the younger woman to Michael's and Marianne's room.  
  
"Care to explain why Marianne nearly ran us over?" Sarah walked into the room, not even bothering to knock. She found Michael sprawled over the bed, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"We really should think about the colour of the ceiling, it's hideous," Michael avoided the question, untill Sarah hauled him up by his colar, he didn't even bother to protest.  
  
"You fought with her and now she stormed of, again. Now you are going to make it up with her," she hissed at the man, Ororo just observed the exchange.  
  
"In a while, when she won't rip my head off," Michael nodded.  
  
"What did you do this time?" Sarah let go of him, but still glared.  
  
"One day, someone's going to explain to me why it's always the guy's fault," Michael grumbled, "I told her she wasn't coming along for the next rift."  
  
"Ouch," Sarah winced, knowing very well that Marianne only agreed to stay behind because she knew that in a fight, she would have an obvious disadvantage in physical combat, but in this, she could actually help out a great deal, considering the entity in her mind.  
  
"She dragged up a whole new guilt trip," Michael nodded, while falling back onto the bed, "does it bother you that much you sometimes stay behind?"  
  
Sarah inwardly winced: when Marianne brought that up, she was positively pissed, though she could understand it. Marianne was one hell of a woman to pick a fight with, but she didn't draw thing out of perspective.  
  
"Yes, it does, but I have to say Marianne handles it a bit better then I do," Sarah nodded.  
  
"Chocolates or flowers?" Michael then asked after a while.  
  
"She won't fall for that. You're going to have to grovel at her feet and give in to letting her tag along," Sarah grimaced, realising that this was not the usual fight, this was the one where Marianne was positively raging.  
  
"Damn, and I really wasn't going to lose this one," Michael growled, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Michael, when you fight with Marianne, you'll undoubtedly lose," Sarah grinned, before turning around and leaving the room, followed by Ororo.  
  
~*After several hours*~  
  
She was on one side of the door, he was on the other, banging as hard as he could yelling at her to open up and let him apologise.  
  
Marianne closed of the program she was writing with Emily's help. She had let him yell for the past half hour. Okay, perhaps that was a little harsh.  
  
'A little?! The man wants to apologise and you let him standing there for half an hour! Sjeesh, I wouldn't want to see you get truly pissed,' Emily commented.  
  
'Shut up,' Marianne snapped at her as she opened the door with the code only she had. She just looked at Michael, blank look on her face, waiting what he would do.  
  
"You're still mad at me, aren't ya?" he asked her, looking in her eyes, they always displayed an abundance of emotions, even when the rest of her face was cold. He saw the sorrow of what she had witnessed as a doctor, the selfhate for having killed those men more then three years ago, the satisfaction of being able to help and love for him.  
  
"That depends," she simply replied, crossing her arms, her whole stance was kept carefully neutral.  
  
"Marianne, I know that what I want is childish, I just have this weird idea that keeping you out of the battles will keep you safe and there is nothing in the world I want more then you being safe. I realise we need you and Emily out there, you as a doctor, Emily with her information. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I saw what that small rift did, Marianne, and I'm afraid, yes, I'm damned afraid, to lose you. I couldn't care less about this whole dimensional crap if you're not there with me, in the end to tell me that we did it, that we saved our dimension," he looked at her, hoping she would understand and saw that she did, "I know I can't keep you out of this because it's better for my peace of mind, I know we don't have that luxury, but something inside me refuses to accept this. But I also know that if I don't accept this, I could very well lose you. I know you, I know that you'll sneak on board and since no one knows you're there, no one can help if you run into trouble."  
  
Marianne just looked at him, a smile slowly forming on her face: "Finished with your speech? I'm glad you're starting to the reason, and I know you're scared, you're not the only one, we're all scared. We're facing something unlike anything ever before. We're fighting to change the destiny of this dimension and we're not even sure if we'll win. If there is something no one needs right now is the two of us fighting eachother."  
  
With that, Michael knew he was forgiven, Marianne wasn't one to hold a grudge, at least, not for long. He draped his arm around her shoulder, and a smile stretched over his face.  
  
"Don't get cocky, just because I accepted your apologie doesn't mean you don't have to sleep in the rec-room tonight," she faced him with a slight glare in her eyes, his face dropped at that: he truly, 100% hated sleeping in the rec-room.  
  
"I'm joking!" Marianne quickly called out, "now now, Michael, don't do anything stupid," she began to slowly back away from him as he appeared to get a slightly crazed expression on his face and she knew she was in for it now.  
  
"Anne? Run." He simply adviced, and boy, did she run. 


	13. Second Rift

Agent-G: I think you might like what is about to unfold. And as for cosmic screw-up: you're talking to one. I spent the entire afternoon looking for my keys to find them in the pockets of the jeans that just came out of the laundry. If that ain't a screw up, and the worst part is: this happens ALL the time *ducks head*  
  
A/N: I'm a little dry on inspiration, I'm afraid...  
  
Fighting Destiny – Second rift  
  
It was several days after the first rift, it had been all over the news, and, surprise surprise, they had managed to blame mutants for everything, again.  
  
A second rift had formed, and this time, it wasn't a small one. Even Emily was worried about this, saying she didn't understand it, that rifts didn't work like this. And is Emily was worried, Marianne knew that they had all the reason to panick, so she didn't tell them about that part, well, that this was serious, but not about Emily's worries.  
  
They were all in on it, this time, well, not Hank and Xavier, Hank because he was a bit obvious and Xavier because, well, telepathic powers wouldn't help them much. The ones who could put energy in the rift were supposed to provide protection for the other group.  
  
"We can expect 'ghosts' 'negatives'," Marianne began to inform them, "Ghosts are faint images of those who live in other dimensions, since they are not really here, they'll be like illusions, only these people exist in other dimensions, they are not make-believe like my kind of illusions. Negatives are like these 'ghosts' only of inanimate objects in which, or with which, much has been done. Be it good or bad, only when they appear in or dimension, they will be dead. Don't let them fool you."  
  
"How do we destinguish ghosts from real people?" Amara questioned.  
  
"Normally, real people aren't as transparent as ghosts. Remember the ghost I once summoned at school, when you found out I was a mutant? Keep that in mind, only add a little colour to it. We shouldn't have to worry about bystanders, the government has evacuated the vacinity and they're still trying to figure out what to do. All we have to worry about is making sure we don't get killed," Marianne smiled at the younger girl, trying to be reassuringly, but feeling terribly insecure herself.  
  
It was in the middle of the day, and this time, the rift had decided to show up in California, not good. Not good at all. A lot of people had been reported missing already, and they could only hope that they would get in time to make sure no one else disappeared.  
  
'Emily, just a question. How many times has this happened?' Marianne asked the entity in her head with curiosity.  
  
'Just two times, since the beginning of the Splitting,' Emily commented.  
  
'And just how many times was the dimension concerned NOT destroyed?' Marianne was starting to get edgy.  
  
'This would be the first time,' the entity commented.  
  
'This first time! O man, we're screwed, we're done for, we are dead!' Marianne barely managed to keep an impassive face.  
  
'Hey, always look on the bright side, right?' Emily tried to cheer her up.  
  
'Usually, the side opposit to the bright side isn't the one in which your dimension is ripped apart,' Marianne cut of the connection and looked around: "Well, are we ready?"  
  
"If Remy say 'non', we still go, oui?" Remy asked with a wry grin on his face, while fiddling with his cards.  
  
"You betcha," Sarah tried to be cheerful, but failing miserably.  
  
"Den Remy ready."  
  
They got up at that, ready to leave the jet, going into the 'warzone'. And that it was, only, this time, the war wasn't caused or fought out by mankind, this time, it was caused by what could be the distruction of their dimension.  
  
"O mah God," Rogue gasped as she saw the distruction of what once had been a small town, it was devestated.  
  
As Marianne had predicted, the 'ghosts' were there. They seemed like humans, only completely devoid of life, there were also buildings, looking as if they came straight from an undeveloped photo. The real buildings were in shambles as energy flashed through the empty streets, taking more and more chunks out of 'reality'.  
  
"This, my friends, is what will happen to the world, if we don't stop it, just before it's destroyed," Marianne announced while fighting the urge to run and hide somewhere FAR away.  
  
"Okay, Wolverine, Tank, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, you three go and look if there are any humans still here who need help," Scott decided.  
  
"Marianne, Rahne, Bobby, Jean and I will set up an emergency hospital in case you find wounded," Michael added, "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!"  
  
That was the sign and the assigned teams split up, the ones who hadn't been mentioned went in search for the rift as Logan, Tank, Kurt and Kitty ventured out into the town to find wounded.  
  
It send shivers up Marianne's spine, seeing the 'ghosts' appear and disappear, the negatives she saw breathed death. In their own dimension, they would have breathed life, not now, they were completely the oposit. Dodging those strange lightning bolts which appeared to take chunks out of reality upon impact.  
  
What was worse, however, was that those bolts seemed to intensify with every passing second and Marianne had got seperated from her group.  
  
'Something or someone is behind this,' Emily informed Marianne after she had jumped behind, what used to be, a wall, 'they are coming after you, you have me. It is as if they are being controlled.'  
  
'Sjeesh, ya think?' Marianne snapped at the entity while crawling further away from where she was out in the open, noticing that somehow, she had been surrounded by the empty spots, yup, someone was most certainly behind all of this.  
  
"Marianne! Are you here?!" she heard Bobby call out.  
  
"I'm here! Please! I need help!" she called back, cursing the fear that sounded through her voice, "I'm in a bit of a tight spot over here!" she yelped as she ducked for yet another bolt, "They're aiming with these things! Almost my head!"  
  
"Anne! O my god," Michael was the first to reach her and saw how she was now practically pressed up against the remains of a wall, her knees drawn up to her chin as she looked up with a wry grin.  
  
"See, I told you I was in a tight spot... Michael? What are you... Michael!" Marianne's eyes widened in shock as she saw him leap over the empty space, "great, moron! Now we're both stuck! And with even less space to move!"  
  
She was very tempted to smack him upside the head, but she was distracted as a bolt came headed straight for them.  
  
"Shit, this is gonna hurt, ain't it?" Michael whispered quite horrified.  
  
"Hurt won't even discribe it..."  
  
'You won't die' Emily promised, 'tell Bobby you'll be fine and you'll be back as soon as you can.'  
  
"Bobby! We'll be fine! We'll be back as soon as we can! Emily says so!" Marianne cried out towards the boy, nearly a man, who watched in horror.  
  
Before Bobby's eyes, the two were hit by the strange bolt and Marianne's words rung through her head, Emily said so. So it would be true.  
  
"Bobby! Did ye find 'r?" he heard Rahne's voice.  
  
"They... they were hit by one of those bolts. Marianne said that they would be fine, that Emily said so, that they would come back," Bobby turned towards the girl, his eyes still filled with shock and his face was pale.  
  
~*Somewhere FAR away*~  
  
A dirty, a bit wounded man crawled up, immediately scrambling over to a still form.  
  
"Shit, Anne, next time, give a guy a heads up," he coughed a bit as he checked the semi-concious woman for injuries.  
  
"Emily said we would survive, not how we came out. This is another dimension, Michael," the woman slowly got her bearings back. 


	14. Explaining

A/N: I'm on painkillers at the moment and they make me go all funny, so no responds on reviews right now, because I'll write something very bad. I'm about halfway stoned and the other half is high. What do they put in those painkillers?  
  
Fighting Destiny – Explaining  
  
"We're what?!" Michael all but yelled.  
  
"We're in another dimension, the bolt must have transported us through dimensions and dumped us here," Marianne rose to her feet and brushed of her jeans. Her hair was slightly singed at the ends and she was looking like a mess.  
  
"And where in another dimension are we?" he looked around.  
  
Marianne turned to observe their location, and recognized something: "that's the cave Shadow took me when he kidnapped me! We're close to the Institute, we could try our luck there. I need some clean clothes and we both need a bath."  
  
"If it is here, the Institute, I mean. What if there are no mutants here?" Michael crossed his arms, looking slightly sceptical.  
  
"Then we will find out," Marianne shrugged, seemingly careless, but she, on the inside, was praying that what Michael had said wasn't true. No mutants here, that would probably be a bad thing. She was guessing that the one who got them here would be pretty hard to get to, and some back-up would be nice.  
  
As they entered Bayville, Marianne, however, came to a startling discovery: "It's several years earlier here, and I don't exist."  
  
"And you get that by just looking into a parlour?" Michael raised his eyebrow.  
  
"The date, the time. This was the first time I met Kitty, Scott, Jean and Kurt. There, they're sitting there. Me and Devon should be sitting right there, but it's only Devon and he's different. There are still mutants, Scott still wears his glasses and Kurt wears his image inducer. Come, we have to get to the Institute. If anyone will be able to help us, it will be Professor Xavier."  
  
She began to walk faster, Michael followed her in a hurry.  
  
"And how are we going to explain everything to them? We'll be on a first ride to loony-town or something. 'Yeah, hi, we're from another dimension a couple of years in the future, our dimension is being ripped apart, we got transported here. O, and Marianne here used to live with you and she's now a doctor for Mutant Underground.' That sounds logical," he was starting to get slightly sarcastic.  
  
"That would basically be it. The professor can read my mind if he wants to, it's our best shot at this all," she stated, her voice told him that there was no way he would be able to convince to drop the plan, so they walked all the way to the Institute to come face to face with closed gates.  
  
"Sneak in or ring the bell?" Michael asked, looking pointedly at gates.  
  
"Well, unless you really want to feel what it's like to be run through by Logan's claws, I suggest we ring," Marianne smirked while reaching out to the button for the bell.  
  
"Yeah?" she heard Logan's voice crackle through.  
  
"Uhm, hi, this is Xavier's Institute, right? We need to speak with Professor Xavier," Marianne said, smiling as she was once again introduced to Logan's 'people-skills', or lack there of, when dealing with strangers. She heard him grumble a little before the gates opened and she and Michael could step onto the grounds. Almost immediately, they were met by Logan. He walked them to Xavier's office, Marianne could see he was ready to use his claws  
  
"I'm so happy to meet you, professor Xavier. I am Marianne and this is Michael. I fear our story is a bit of an odd one," Marianne smiled at the man in front of her.  
  
"Let's just see, shall we?" Xavier returned a kind smile.  
  
"First, I'd like to explain to you that you can enter my mind if you think I am not telling the truth. Now, basically, our being here is an accident, we're not supposed to be in this dimension. We're from another one. Ours is currently being ripped apart by rifts. Something is causing it, and the something that caused it pulled me here, Michael was only pulled in because he was being stupid," she cast a glare at him.  
  
"And you think mutants did this?" Logan snorted, "you humans are always so ready to blame us."  
  
"As a matter of fact, Logan, or should I call your Wolverine? Michael and me are mutants too. In our dimension we are leading a safehouse for Mutant Underground. I am a doctor. Before that, I lived with the X-Men from my dimension and I was an X-Men. I have seen everything humans can think of doing to mutants and I'm getting sick and tired of you and your attitude! As much as you tried to teach me to fight and as patient you were, I truly dispise how you never let yourself trust anyone!" Marianne turned around to glare at him.  
  
"Now you've done it," Michael murmurred, referring to Logan getting a rise out of Marianne, sharing a grin with Xavier as Marianne crossed her arms and once again cast an incinerating glare at Logan.  
  
"Let's go back to the fact that you were a part of the X-Men, why no longer?" Xavier managed to draw her attention away from thinking of ways to maim Logan.  
  
"You don't need someone like me, listen, I expect what I tell here to stay in this room. You and Michael are the only ones who know about this in my dimension," she took a deep breath as she saw Logan and Xavier nodd, "on the first mission I tagged along, me being taught to be a medic by Hank and the mission being to save mutants from a lab. I also kinda hacked some governemnt files and found out about the lab. But that was just because I wanted to find more info on mutation surpressers to help Rogue and Scott. Anyway, we went in and I found a girl, strapped to a table while being operated upon without any aneastatics. I lost it and used my mutation to kill five men. The base exploded while I was still inside, the rest was outside and you all thought I had died. I didn't, went into a coma, but I was still alive. I don't know how long I was trapped underneath all the rubble, but I was found by Mutant Underground. After I came out of my coma, I had no recollection of what had happened, lost my memories. Mutant Underground made it so that I lived with Michael in Boston and could learn to become a doctor. Two years later, I got in contact with you to help get some young mutants help, and you helped me get my memorie back."  
  
"That is quite a story," Xavier nodded, "and what is happening to your dimension?"  
  
"Something is destroying it, and that something is here, otherwise we couldn't have been pulled here. Our only chance to get back is to find the bad guy, or girl," Marianne gave a short version, not quite thinking anyone would stick to another long version.  
  
"Could ya get a little more specific?" Logan snorted.  
  
"If I could, I wouldn't be here," Marianne was taking her frustrations out on Logan, "look, I'm dirty, possitively hurting all over my hair just got singed and I need clean clothes. Can we please get into the details later?"  
  
"Yes, I'd believe that might be for the best. Ororo will escort you to your rooms and find the both of you some clean clothes," Xavier nodded, knowing that Ororo was standing behind the closed door, poised to knock.  
  
As the two young adults left, Logan looked at Xavier.  
  
"Think they're speakin' the truth, Chuck?" he asked, while keeping an impassive face.  
  
"As unlikely as it sounds, the girl was speaking the truth," Xavier nodded thoughtfully. 


	15. Difference

Agent-G (and anyone who wondered): I was on painkillers because this overactive jaw-surgeon decided that I needed my left wisdomteeth removed. And I thought it was just a check-up. So, that was an (unpleasant) surprise. And the painkillers were this powdery thingies that you had to throw in water and it smelled like fresh orange juice, but tasted like lemon and something very awful. They really made me go all funny (I forgot to lift my left foot when walking, for instance).  
  
Fighting Destiny – Difference  
  
"So, what are we going to do?" Michael asked as he watched Marianne sit on the bed.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I need to get my shielding back to normal and then I'm going to see if I can hack into the FOH,"Marianne opened one eye and looked pointedly at him, telling him to make himself usefull. She had already got Emily to retreat into a corner of her mind and was preparing to begin her meditation.  
  
Michael shrugged and quietly left their room, going out to see how the Institute looked now. It was strange, he thought: they had practically traveled back in time. This was definately one of the strangest things that had happened to him, without a doubt.  
  
He didn't know how long he had been wandering around, but was getting ready to return to his and Marianne's room.  
  
"Hey! Who, like, are you? And what are you, like, doing here?!" Kitty's voice rang out through the hall.  
  
"Good day to you too, Kitty," he absently replied while trying to remember where he had been three years ago.  
  
"Like, how do you know my name?" Kitty looked at him, while trying to keep up with him.  
  
"Long story, we already told Xavier and Logan," Michael remembered that they didn't know him here, then, yet, whatever it was. This whole thing gave him a headache now he was trying to figure it out.  
  
"Halfpint," Logan came walking up to them, "leave 'm alone."  
  
"But Logan..." Kitty started to whine. A direct look from Logan told her to get lost.  
  
"What do you need, Logan?" Michael said, leaning against the wall, a half smirk on his face.  
  
"What do ya mean, bub?"  
  
"I've known you for a couple of years, in my dimension, and the only time you seek out strangers, is when you want something. You helped us build the safehouse in Arizona, I know you," Michael grinned wryly, while wondering how everyone was doing back in his own dimension.  
  
"I see, will the future get that bad that we need safehouses?" Logan asked, facing him.  
  
"It is already that bad, the Underground is already starting to form, in my dimension at least. Isn't this a kind of a safehouse? But yes, things do get worse. Humans are getting more inventive on inducing pain, conducting experiments. We get 'm out and Marianne tries to patch 'm up, mentally and physically," he crossed his arms and the grin dropped, displaying the face of a grim, hardened man, disillusioned by what he had seen and it slightly gave Logan the creeps.  
  
"She's a good kid," Logan therefor changed the subject, immediately seeing Michael's expression soften again.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, she is. Tough as nails and a real pitbull, doesn't let go of anything she wants. She's put up with me for four years," he grinned, "but it hasn't been easy for her either," it being life at the safehouse, "she hasn't lost a patient to death yet, but she has lost them to their own delussions."  
  
"Damn," Logan cursed.  
  
"Yeah, that's the general idea. I swear, sometimes I think she is about to go out and do some serious damage to those who harmed mutants. She can get really pissed off, and you don't wanna be in her way when that happens. Luckily, that only happens very rarely," Michael grinned.  
  
"Sorry, bub, but she doesn't seem like the type who can do some 'serious damage'," Logan didn't really believe him.  
  
"If she get mad, man, I think that even if Apocalyps himself would get her mad, she would rip his sanity, whatever what was left of it anyway, to shreds," Michael objected.  
  
"Apocalyps? Iz he a bad guy?" Kurt popped out, image inducer on.  
  
"You've gotta be kiddin'me... Great, you're not," Michael looked from the German boy to Logan, realising that these X-Men really hadn't fought, or even knew of, Apocalyps, "I think I found the difference."  
  
"Difference? Like, what difference?" Kitty phased out of the wall.  
  
"You know," Michael said, slightly startled, "I should be used to this, but your phasing through like that still gives me the creeps. I'll go and get Marianne, I think we'd like to explain this just once. Could you get everyone in the Rec-room?" and he was gone.  
  
"Like, Logan, what's the deal with him?" Kitty asked.  
  
"Long story, halfpint, they ain't exactly from around here and they are. Trust me, it's complicated," Logan began to develop a headache while trying to sort the whole interdimensional-thing out himself.  
  
~*With Marianne*~  
  
"Michael! You better have a VERY good explanation for this! I was taking a shower!" Marianne cried out, sounding reasonably angry as she glared at her boyfriend.  
  
"I found out the difference, here, Apocalyps was never awokened!" Michael stated.  
  
"Yes, well, that is a big difference. We're going to tell them, aren't we?" she gathered some clean clothes.  
  
"He could very well be behind all of this," he voiced his concerns.  
  
"I doubt that, he's not really the 'tear other dimensions apart' kinda guy. I'd think he'd go and try to destroy humanity here first," Marianne reasoned with him.  
  
"We don't know that for sure, it could very well be him, anyway, they need to be prepared if it is," Michael argued.  
  
Marianne just sighed at that, an exasperated expression on her face.  
  
"Fine, fine. But you tell. And only if you please take a bath afterwards. I am not sharing a bed with you when you are smelling like that," she wrinkled her nose, indicating he smelled very, very bad.  
  
"I'm not..." then he noticed he did smell bad, "okay, I smell bad."  
  
After Marianne had pulled her hair in a ponytail, she and Michael both went to the Rec-room, where they were welcomed by everyone of the X-Men, the adults had all been informed by Xavier, but he had thought it would be best for the rest to be told by Marianne and Michael themselves.  
  
"You're telling," Marianne whispered, not really feeling like telling the story, again. It was just too weird: she had known these people for years, well, except when she had amnesia, and here they were, looking like when she had first met them and they didn't know her. Not only that, but she actually died in this dimension. She had done some checking on the computer in the library, and had found out that the Marianne in this dimension had been killed together with her mother in the car crash that, in her dimension, had only killed her mother. And Michael had been killed in a robbery three years ago.  
  
So she just sat down and let Michael do the talking, while smiling softly at how he left out the part where she had killed and just told them, when they asked why she had left, that that was a case of personal matters.  
  
She could also see that no one was believing them, they either thought the two were nuts or that they were lying.  
  
"I can assure you all that they are speaking the truth. Miss Jong has allowed me to scan her mind and it is the truth," Xavier spoke up after a short silence.  
  
"How..." Jean trailed of, and Marianne realised the redhead had tried to read her to see if they were telling the truth.  
  
"Yes, my mental shielding is quite strong, the professor Xavier from our dimension taught me this to help me to not be swallowed up by my illusions. If that would happen, I would become a vegetable, sorta speak. I only learned to perfect it with one of my patients, a pretty strong telepath," Marianne explained, "the shielding was still weak when I spoke with the professor, so he could easily read me. I just spend an hour in meditation rebuilding them, so they are at their strongest right now." 


	16. Warning

Agent-G: yeah, well, Marianne tends to go with her instincts and Michael prefers to stay open for any possibilities. Michael is pretty much a military guy with a sharp edge, and Marianne managed to take of the edge a little. And I get where you're coming from, medication is not one of the things I like, at all, I'm just lucky I have the stomache for it.  
  
Fighting Destiny - Warning  
  
~*In the other dimension*~  
  
"I. Don't. Care. We're getting them back! Now!" Sarah paced around, fists clenched, fury in her eyes.  
  
"I analyzed all the data we had on the jet, but this is not my field of expertise. I can make training drones, cleaning drones, computer programs, I cannot make anything that opens dimensions," Ben spoke up, not diverting his eyes from the computerscreen.  
  
"And I'm only an expert at demolishing," Tank added.  
  
"How many times do I need to say this?! I. Don't. Give. A. Damn! We're going to get them back and I don't care how," Sarah was not listening to their reasoning. She was scared, she needed her friends, their leaders back.  
  
"I zhink we might know someone," Kurt offered.  
  
"O no! No way!" Jean began to object, "do you even realize how many times Forge's experiments go wrong?!"  
  
"Listen, Red," Tank stood up, while throwing cautious glances at Sarah, "if there's even a slighest chance at getting them back, we're taking it. Marianne is our doc and we need 'r, she also is the one with the source of information on what is happening. She is also a close friend of all of us, and Michael is just as important."  
  
"I'm gettin' 'm," Logan decided, getting up to get to the jet.  
  
They all looked at eachother, all thinking the same, but not wanting to say it out loud: what if the entity had been wrong? What if they weren't coming back? What if... What if they were dead? There was just one dry comfort in this: at least they had been together, but how this was a comfort? No one could tell.  
  
~*With Michael and Marianne, several days later*~  
  
Marianne was out running, Michael was working of his frustrations in the Danger Room. It had been the same argument. Marianne was positive that it wasn't Apocalyps's doing, where as Michael was convinced they needed to keep their options open.  
  
Logan growled as he saw Michael demolish yet another drone, in an extremely painfull way, the guy was tense, and Logan could very well figure out why. Michael needed action, all this sitting around wasn't doing him any good.  
  
Outside, Marianne had run into a source of, minor, trouble: the Brotherhood. To be exact: Pietro, Todd and Fred. Wanda was there, but wasn't really getting into it, it was just Pietro being a jerk. It was what he did best. (A/N: sorry Pietro lovers, but he gets on my nerves!)  
  
"What is it?" Marianne said that could freeze the blood in your veins.  
  
"You'reanX-geek, aren'tya?" Pietro zipped around her.  
  
"No. I'm not. Get lost speedy," she rolled her eyes: she didn't think he would change in any dimension. He would always be annoying.  
  
"Thenwhyareyoulivingthere?" he aske her, slightly surprised. Marianne decided to go for something she had done before, in her own dimension.  
  
"First of," poke, "all. They are, "poke, "helping us," poke, "second of all, they are X-Men," poke, "and third," poke, "I don't talk to moving," poke, "speedviolations! Go chase the butterflies."  
  
With a small amount of concentration, she implanted the idea of Pietro being swamped by butterflies in his head. That caused him to come to a full stop and start clawing at the air in front of him.  
  
"What the???" Fred called out.  
  
"What did you do to him, yo?" Todd jumped closer towards her and Wanda glared at her.  
  
"He'll be fine in a couple of hours. In the meantime, he'll be busy, too busy to either try to boss you guys around, or just be plain annoying. The way I see it, you owe me a thank-you," Marianne turned around and began to walk into Bayville. There was just so much she felt like dealing with and this had been it. And she had to add the fact that she was completely not at ease because of the minor fact that the one who was responsible for her dimension's trouble was present in this one. What she needed was a good cup of coffee and no one bothering her.  
  
'Lighten up, Marianne,' Emily complained, 'whatever it is, it's not going to attack here.'  
  
'What makes you say so?' Marianne retorted.  
  
'It would have already,' and with that, the entity retreated again. Both of them were well aware that the chance of Emily being able to leave Marianne was very, very small, and therefor, they tried to stay out of eachother's way. But one head and two constantly present personalities tended to get a tad bit crowded at times.  
  
Marianne found a small coffeeshop, not all that crowded. As she sat down, the cup in front of her, she began to let her mind drift to times where it was simple. Times when she hadn't been under this kind of stress. With a bitter smile, she realized that those times were getting less and less.  
  
"Is this seat taken?" a woman's voice interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"No, not at all," Marianne looked up to recognize Irene Addler, Destiny. They had a file on her, Underground, in her dimension, at least. Marianne had one reason not to like this woman: she had practically handed Rogue over to Mystique! Had exposed one of her friends to the manipulations of that woman.  
  
"What do you want, Destiny?" Marianne asked, her voice turning a few nots colder.  
  
"What makes you think I want something?" Irene didn't seem surprised by the question or the use of her code-name.  
  
"You can forsee events, you are sitting here, in a small coffeeshop, at the table I occupy, while there are plenty of free tables. It is safe to say you want something," even Marianne's face spelled out her discontent at the other woman to seek her out.  
  
"You're right, I wish to tell you something," Irene started, but was interrupted by Marianne.  
  
"Then keep on wishing, lady, 'cause you and I have nothing to talk about and there is nothing you have to tell me," she moved to leave the table: she would go back to the Institute, try and get some coffee there, although she wouldn't get some peace-and-quiet time.  
  
"Please! You're going to get yourself killed if you don't listen to me!" the blind woman cried out. That got her attention, Marianne sat down again.  
  
"You and the other man, you should not try and face your enemy, you can live out your lives here, if you face him, you will be killed," Irene told her.  
  
"Just me, or Michael too?" Marianne's face had turned ashen.  
  
"You, you will be killed," Irene looked up, "it is your destiny if you face him."  
  
Somehow, the fact that only she would be a victim installed a cold anger in her: "Lady, there truly is nothing you have to tell me. I am going to face him and I'll fight destiny itself if I have to. I will not let my friends, my home, down. Now leave, before I get truly upset with you."  
  
The blind woman quietly got up and left, leaving Marianne to seethe with anger. How could Irene expect that she would give up?! She could see the future, didn't she at least saw a bit that even remotely explained her stubbornness?!  
  
"What did Ahrene want with ya?" once again, Marianne was interrupted from her thoughts, this time by Rogue.  
  
"She thought she had some advice. None that I will use, however," Marianne grinned wryly.  
  
"What did she say?" Rogue sat down.  
  
"Okay, but promise me you won't tell anyone. Especially not Michael. He'll drive me insane if he ever finds out," Marianne looked pleadingly at the, now younger, girl.  
  
"Ah won' tell 'm a thang," Rogue easily promised, but wondered what was so important.  
  
"Irene said, that if I am to face this enemy, my destiny is to die. She said I should give up and live out my life here, with Michael," her hand clutched tightly at the cup, "but I can't give up, I just... I can't. I've wanted to give up so many times, in the safehouse, before I my brother got me a spot at Xavier's. I want to wake up just one day and not worry about what might come. But I always do. I'm always scared."  
  
"Ya should listen ta 'r, ya know," Rogue looked at the woman. She hadn't really thought she was any good, but when she heard her talk like that, it just seemed to change. She looked at Marianne and saw a world of hurt in her eyes, and something told her it was not her own hurt.  
  
"If I should listen to her, I will never see Sarah, Tank of Ben, for that matter. I am needed at the safehouse, I'm the only doc they've got. Add the fact that I seem to learn to be a shrink too," a wry grinn, "you wouldn't believe how many mutants we get out of trouble. We were completely filled up a couple of times. So many people hurting because of those haters, so much pain and even us doctors can't heal most of the hurt."  
  
Marianne quickly sipped from her coffee, to stop herself from talking. As she did, she looked at Rogue, and remembered that before the mission, Rogue had never really trusted her, or liked her for that matter. But Marianne was different now, she wasn't this shielded girl anymore, she was harder now, sometimes even bitter, and she knew a lot more of what went on out there.  
  
"It must be difficult fer ya," Rogue acknowledged.  
  
"Keeping my emotions in check is difficult, my power is tied to them. This is just down right impossible. Before, my emotions ruled me, I was quite a spitfire, still am. And I'm not even out there, all I do is wait around the safehouse," Marianne grumbled, "man, I need to get drunk."  
  
"Drunk?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I've never been drunk in my entire life. And I'm curious, but I can't do that because I'm a responsible doctor and if I do, my powers go slightly outta control. Man, I need to get drunk," Marianne rested her head on the table.  
  
"Then ya shouldn't get drunk," Rogue offered.  
  
"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do, Rogue, that has a reaction that's not good. Not good at all. I'm at the moment very much freaked out and have to try my best to maintain my own control. Telling me what to do makes me pretty pissed, something I do not need. You know that you didn't like me, at all, when I first came to Xavier's? I figure that's the case now too," Marianne took another sip, looking at Rogue.  
  
"But Ah started ta like ya, in yer dimension?"  
  
"Yes, you did, the day before the mission where I got, at least you all thought, that I got killed. But you didn't like Shadow either, which I cannot blame you for, seeing as I don't like him either, most of the time," She shot Rogue a wry grin, "but he did manage to kidnap me from under Scot's nose, that's gotta count for something. That wasn't something that made me like him. But who I absolutely do not like is Pietro. I told him off in my dimensions and today I told him off here. He's just as annoying."  
  
"Ya know, Marianne, Ah think you an' Ah are gonna get along very well," Rogue grinned. 


	17. Talking things out

Agent-G: Yup, the title is coming into play. I figured out I completely forgot why I named it Fighting Destiny, but now I remember it again. Not the biggest Forge appearance yet, in this chapter, but it'll get somewhere...  
  
Fighting Destiny – Talking things out  
  
"O man," Kurt groaned as he collapsed on the couch, "zhat Michael guy is going to kill us."  
  
"For once," Scott looked up, looking worse for wear, "I agree."  
  
"Is it, like, just me, or did he get, like worse because of the fight with Marianne?" Kitty dragged herself to the nearest chair.  
  
The X-Men had just finished another trainingsession, after Marianne and Rogue had returned to the Institute, and Logan had put them up against Michael. Michael, who had a couple of years on them, and had trained almost all his life, even before his powers surfaced, had easily taken care of them.  
  
"Ah believe so, Kitty," Rogue nodded, not really feeling for a longer answer.  
  
"They're just a little tense about what is happening," Jean tried to stick up for Michael and Marianne, "who wouldn't be?"  
  
"Still, it doesn't excuse nearly, like, killing us!" Kitty cried out in frustration.  
  
"I'll go talk with Marianne, Scott, you'll talk with Michael," Jean sighed, and got up to try and find Marianne. The knowledge the woman had of the hiding places in the Institute alone had proved to Jean she had spend time there, in her own dimension.  
  
"Marianne? Are you up here?" after a while of looking, Jean had ventured up to the attic, to find the young doctor staring out of a window.  
  
"Is something wrong, Marianne?"  
  
"Huh?" the woman spoken to looked around, rather startled, "I forgot how beautifull it was here, how peacefull," a loud crashing sound downstairs interrupted, "compared to the safehouse. I miss that, you know?"  
  
"Then why don't you go back when you get back to your dimension?"  
  
Marianne let out a bitter laugh, it didn't suit her: "Yeah, right, Jean. As if I could go back. I've seen too much, been through too much to ever completely believe in this dream you all have again. This dream of humans and mutants peacefully co-existing. I'm not an X-man, woman, whatever. You guys sit in your pretty little mansion, go out to fight, and we deal with the survivors, the victims of the humans. There are times that I want to go out and just show these humans just why exactly they should fear us. And I wonder more and more if it is all worth it, I'm tired Jean. So tired."  
  
By now, tears were streaming down Marianne's face, the angry expression that she had worn at the beginning of her outburst was now a face tortured by things she had seen.  
  
"I try so goddamned hard, every day. Every time the team goes out. Every time I have a kid on the operation table, it hurts Jean, it hurts, I try not to let it bother me, I do, but the pain just won't stop. Every time, my heart's ripped in two. But I can't stop, I'm needed," there was a strange kind of desperation in Marianne's face as Jean looked at her.  
  
'She's too soft hearted for this,' Jean realised.  
  
"Feeling the pain makes us care, Marianne, it doesn't make you weak, it makes you strong," Jean tried to console the young doctor, "it's okay to feel angry, you have every right to be, I don't know how the future looks like, but I think no one can blame you. But you're still helping people, and that's what counts."  
  
"Or so I keep telling myself," Marianne sniffed, "I'm sorry, I just, sometimes it gets a little too much, ya know. And now with all this, and the fight with Michael. I just needed someone to rant at. I'm sorry it was you. Back in my dimension, you've been nothing but kind to me, you helped me get settled and all."  
  
"Hey, it's okay, we all need to let lose sometimes. But talking about the fight with Michael. Could you two patch up? He's really killing us in the Danger Room," the redhead smiled.  
  
"Yeah, that's Michael for ya. Sometimes I'd say we're complete opposits, he's brutal when it comes to training or missions," Marianne smiled weakly, "but he's a real good leader, a very good friend too."  
  
"And you love him, things are stressfull for the both of you. But everything will work out, we'll get you back to your own dimension, no doubt about it," Jean smiled broadly. For a moment, Marianne contemplated if she should tell Jean about the warning from Irene, but decided against it. That was, for the moment, a secret between her, Rogue and Irene herself, and if it was up to her, no one would ever find out.  
  
"Hey, what day is it?" Marianne suddenly asked.  
  
"Tuesday, why?" Jean didn't understand it.  
  
"You'll find out," she looked at her watch, "in three... two... one..."  
  
*Bamf*  
  
"Hide behind the crates, guys, Jean, put open that window, I'll put open this one," Marianne grinned as she directed Kurt and Bobby to a good hidingspot behind a stack of old boxes. She and Jean then quickly opened the windows to wash away the sulfur smell.  
  
"Where's the elf?" Logan growled.  
  
"How should we know, mister Logan?" Marianne used a tactic she had stopped using a couple of years ago: puppy-dog-eyes, "what did they do?"  
  
"They had a little fun with my simulation," he snarled, before sniffing, turning on his heels and stalking away from the attic. Apparently the fresh air had subdued the sulfur smell, well, that and the stuffy, old smell you tend to have on attics made him uneasy.  
  
"O, they had fun alright," Marianne giggled, "at least this time they got away. You can come out now, boys."  
  
"This happened in your dimension?" Jean raised an eyebrow while crossing her arms.  
  
"O yeah, filled on of his training simulations with pink, stuffed animals, didn't you?" Marianne laughed as Kurt and Bobby grinned, "well, in my dimension, you guys got caught and were very sorry."  
  
~*Other Dimension*~  
  
"Why am I here?" Forge asked the group who stood waiting for him, "mister personality over there didn't say anything. At all."  
  
"Ve need your help, some of our friends vere transported to anozher dimension and ve need zhem back," Kurt was the first to respond.  
  
"Now your talking. I think I can help. But I see some new faces, who are you all?" Forge this time turned to look at Tank, Sarah and Ben.  
  
"We work and live at the safehouse. Two of our group, Marianne and Michael, our doctor and the guy in charge, were transported. It's incredibly important we get them back. I am Sarah, this walking disaster area is Ben and this guy is Tank," she pointed to the two men next to her. Tank nodded, but him being so tall and broad worked a little unnerving, as it did on every newbe. Ben just glared at Sarah, before grinning at Forge.  
  
"I'll take you to the lab, we have a lot of data, but I don't really know what to do with it. It's not like I have to write a trainingprogram for it," Ben grinned.  
  
~*Back with Marianne and Michael*~  
  
"So, we, like, have Marianne in the greenhouse, and we now have to, like, get Michael in there," Kitty smiled broadly at their accomplishments.  
  
"And ve're not letting zhem out untill zhey make up," Kurt agreed, "Jamie's getting him."  
  
About three minutes later, Michael and Marianne were locked inside the greenhouse, together, with the X-Men AND New Mutants standing guard outside. Ofcourse they could have broken out, but the greenhouse belonged to Ororo, and Marianne didn't think she would take too kindly on her greenhouse being demolished by Michael.  
  
"So why are we here?" Michael grumbled, not liking it very much that he was locked away, even in a glass house.  
  
"Because you were running them into the ground because of our fight. They want us to make up," Marianne sighed.  
  
"I wasn't running them into the grou..." a look from Marianne stopped him midsentence, he had wanted to say 'I wasn't running them into the ground because of our fight'.  
  
"I know you too well, you're frustrated," she flopped down onto the ground and looked up at him, she wasn't feeling so frustrated anymore, actually, she thought it was nice to see her friends again when they had been younger.  
  
"I'd disagree with that, but you're right. Still, I think we should keep our options open about Apocalyps," Michael sighed, slightly exasperated.  
  
"Even if the guy still existed, which he doesn't, I don't think he woul do this. He would take over this dimension, or atleast try to," Marianne told him with a mysterious little smile, "I did some research and I found out a peculiar difference in the legends and myths about him, he was completely defeated, his body was disposed of in so many pieces, not even the champion of jigsawpuzzles can piece him back together."  
  
"Who defeated him?" Michael looked slightly baffled at this.  
  
"They claim the gods, who were angered by his existance, I think some other mutants, perhaps he wasn't the only mutant back then. So, do you agree with me now?" Marianne crossed her arms, awaiting the apology.  
  
"Well, there goes one enemy. Yes, Anne, you were right, I was wrong and I am very sorry about our fight," Michael said, slightly sarcastic, but then grinned at Marianne: "so, what do you have planned for tonight?"  
  
"Nothing yet," Marianne grinned back.  
  
"So, what do you say I ask Logan for a set of wheels and we go out for tonight?"  
  
"That, my friend, sounds like a solid plan. But Xavier asked me to tell him something about the safehouse system. I think he wants to be able to set something like that up if the public turns violent towards mutants," Marianne got up and sat down next to him.  
  
~*Other Dimension*~  
  
"Forge! Don't do..." Ben's warning came too late as an explosion filled the tech-lab, followed by a nearly solid, black smoke.  
  
"What did you do?!" Sarah yelled, as she came running, to see the black smoke.  
  
"I didn't do it, Forge did!" Ben said between coughs, for once glad he wasn't the one who blew something up.  
  
"I'm *cough* fine *cough* I think," Forge's voice came through the smoke, and a second later, he staggered out, "I fried some circuits and the machine overloaded."  
  
"O great, two of them," Sarah turned her eyes up to the ceiling, before turning away and start to take care of who was supposed to cook tonight. She began to get a whole new load of respect for Marianne and Michael, as she and Tank were now in charge, and Sarah began to discover just how hard this all was, and they didn't even have refugees!  
  
~*Back with Marianne*~  
  
"Professor, I believed you wished to know some more about the safehouse- system, didn't you?" Marianne walked into his office and sat down in a chair facing Xavier.  
  
"Yes, I'm rather interrested in your personal experiences," he smiled at the young woman.  
  
"O... well... okay. Well, I'm the doctor in our safehouse, second in commands. They call me 'mom' back there," she smiled remembering that, "Michael is 'dad'. We help a lot of people, not all of them mutants. Some of them helped mutants out, and were labeled 'traitors'. Some kids whose parents 'disappeared'. Kids whose powers surfaced at the wrong time in the wrong place. We have room for about 20, sometimes we've been filled up with about 60. When one of big labs are busted out. I keep a miniature hospital running on my own and try to keep most of our 'guests' in check. Which is hard. They've all been through a lot, and they get into fights easily. I'm just happy we have an in-house hospital. I'm pretty much the test-subject for the powers of most of them."  
  
"Why is that?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Think 'bout it. We have mutants who've been experimented on, they're in pain, have bad dreams, they fnd out they're in a hospital and I'm the doctor. Ofcourse they're freaked and the first thing they do is try to get away. Or they panick and lose control. It's not their fault, it still hurts when I get on the recieving end, but it's not their fault. They wouldn't be able to hurt me if we restrained them, I think, but that's not good. It would make them think they're still in thos horrid places," Marianne shuddered, thankful she herself had never actually been in such a lab to be used to experiment upon. Even though she thought that being caught under the rubble and nearly dying was bad enough. 


	18. History won't repeat

Agent-G: yup, Ben and Forge are going to get along just fine and drive Sarah up the wall, she'll be sooner to have a nervous breakdown then Marianne, actually. But don't worry, after this, Marianne and Michael are going on their vacation. Maybe even run into the Vincent from their dimension, if you'll let me grin. You're gonna love the last part of this chapter!

* * *

Fighting Destiny – History won't repeat  
  
"Yes! I found them! I found those incompetent idiots!" a cry rang through the halls of the Institute, Marianne's cry, to be exact, and quite a triumphant cry at that.  
  
"You found what?" Michael looked up from his exercises.  
  
"The lab, you know, the one that went boom on me. It just was put up, so if we can get Xavier to put a team together, we can get those mutants out, get the surpressor for Rogue and Scott and make sure that history won't repeat itself. Well, it wouldn't, since the Marianne here is dead. Man, this is giving me a headache," Marianne grinned, slightly malicious. She absolutely had an icredible hatred for those who dared to experiment on humans.  
  
"You're telling me. What will you do?" Michael got up to look at the screen of Marianne's computer. She had been trying to track down that particular base since the day after they had arrived in that dimension.  
  
"Coming along, that's for sure. What? You think I would sit back here? Now way, Michael. I've been in there, I know what it looks like inside. My help'll be quite usefull. We'll just have to get someone to take out the self-detenation sequence. I still can't believe they actually did that. Come on, talk about cliché and tacky," Marianne grimaced. She had started to relax again: they weren't attacked yet, the nightmares had lestened ever since Emily had taken residence, if not for the whole dimensional thing, she'd say things were looking up for her.  
  
There were two things bothering her: Apocalyps resurrection seemed to have been imperative for her survival, as was it to Michael's. But with this, she just stuck to both Emily's and Michael's opinion: the jerk atleast did one good thing, apparently.  
  
And then there was her own dimension: how were they holding up there? Were there any more rifts forming? How were Sarah and Tank doing as the ones in charge of the safehouse? Did they even leave the safehouse standing? Had Rogue killed Remy already? She just kept telling herself that they were doing fine, they had to be!  
  
//In the other dimension//  
  
"Great, just great," Sarah grumbled, kicking the nearest wall. They had lost the tech-lab, for the moment. Ben and Forge were a bit too much alike for comfort, and both of them appeared to like causing explosions or mishaps with their inventions.  
  
But still, she didn't think anything could top Ben's rebelling training- droids. Which was a whole story on its own. She still shuddered at the rememberance of the amount of repairing and cleaning there had been needed afterwards. She smiled when she remembered Ben's punishment. Michael had said that if he made such mistakes programming droids, he should get to know them a little better, and thus Ben had been sentenced to polishing each droid with a tootbrush, for a month. Michael and Marianne were professionals when it came to punishment, even though Michael had the tendency to hand it out a bit more.  
  
"That bad, huh?" Tank noted at the dent Sarah had already created in the wall, "I ain't even gonna try that, the wall won't be standing afterwards. Michael an' Marianne ain't gonna be too happy if that happends."  
  
"I'm beginning to gain a whole new load of respect for the of them. Man, this is hard," Sarah grinned, "I could create a wall of sand for you to kick."  
  
"That would be nice," Tank grinned.  
  
//Back with Marianne and Michael//  
  
"Why will he be in charge?" Scott asked, visibly upset that he wouldn't be in charge of the mission, but that Michael would.  
  
"Quite simple, Scott. Michael has been doing this for several years now and has one year of experience as a leader. I think we could benefit from this and all gain some experience from this," Xavier explained.  
  
"Look, kid, he ain't gonna take your place, they'll go back to their dimension, an' in the meanwhile, why not let 'm show what they can do?" Logan added his opinion.  
  
"You'll be my second, Scott, I have no intention of becoming part of the X- Men, what so ever. I'm for human and mutant co-existing, but I'm, not that firm in my believes as you. Even if we can't get back to our own dimension, I'll just join up with Underground here, or set it up myself if I have to," Michael said firmly.  
  
"For me goes the same, from the 'I have no intention' part. Life is tough with Underground, but Underground is needed aswell," Marianne nodded, "I'll be joining the team as medic, Hank can prepare the med-lab here for the victims who've already been through hell."  
  
"Then I think we'd better start makin' plans," Logan gruffly said, realsing no amount of threads would cause Marianne to stay home, the girl was just too damn stubborn..  
  
"Yeah, Scott, I'm gonna need your help with this. How far is your team with their powers?" Michael turned to the younger man, knowing fully well he felt as if someone was trying to steal his position.  
  
Soon, they were completely involved in planning the 'raid', or rescue and retrieve mission.  
  
//Other Dimension//  
  
"They're what?!" Rogue practically screamed, if Remy didn't clamp his hand over her mouth.  
  
"Cher, ain't no good to let t'em no we be on to t'em, non?" Remy tried to pacify them.  
  
"They're sooooo dead! Marianne an' Michael are missin' and they're tryin' ta set us up?!" Rogue ranted, but a few volumes lower, "Ah am so gonna get them introduced ta ma anger!"  
  
"As much as Remy love dat, Remy think, he part o' de sceam too, non? Remy want a little revenge too," he grinned at her.  
  
"Ah thought ya'd be happy that they'd try ta set ya up with meh," she crossed her arms.  
  
Yes, the two of them had figured out the other girls, Storm excluded, were up to something, and they were currently eavesdropping (A/N: that how you write it?).  
  
"Non, dey t'ink Remy can't do de job on his own," Remy grinned.  
  
"Okay, swamprat, we're gonna go and exact a lil revenge o' our own," Rogue's mind was already working to think out some excrusiating revenge on her friends.  
  
So pretty soon, Remy and Rogue were involved into plotting their own plan of revenge, and, too much surprise, they were actually getting slightly along and Remy wasn't flirting with her. 


	19. Second chance

Agent-G: yeah, I liked that touch of having the lab show up again too. Don't worry, Remy and Rogue will have their revenge.

* * *

Fighting Destiny – Second Chance  
  
This time, things would go right, it just had to go right. She had done it before, literally, and now she could make sure there would be no mistakes, such as forgetting to disable the self-destruct sequence. Marianne still couldn't believe those idiots had gone so low to actually do that.  
  
The plan, this time, was slightly different. Bobby and Ray had come along, for diversion, together with Logan. They would be responsible to keep as much of the once who guarded the lab off of the team that went in.  
  
Michael, Rogue and Scott were going to disable the self-distruct while the rest was going to get the captured mutants out.  
  
"Just to let you know," Marianne looked up at the sky, "if this lab goes boom on me again, and I'm not so lucky, you and I are going to have a LOT to talk about."  
  
"You ready, Fantasy?" Jean asked her.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," they were interrupted by a couple of explosions, "I think Wolverine, Iceman and Berzerker have started. Now we should get going."  
  
That was the sign and the two groups went their way. The first problem Marianne ran into were the guards. Guards with guns, to be exact, and in her opinion: they were far too trigger happy.  
  
"Aw, come one boys, put down your toys and nothing will happen," she walked closer, to come to the conclusion they really were too trigger happy. Luckily, jean was fast enough with her TK to stop the bullets.  
  
"Vhy do I have zhe urge to yell 'Neo' right now?" Kurt joked as the bullets were slammed into the walls.  
  
"You tell me, okay guys, time to go beddy-bey," Marianne frowned slightly, untill the guards just fell over.  
  
"What did, like, you do to them?!" Kitty cried out.  
  
"Sssh! They're asleep. What did ya think I'd do? I'm a doctor! I prefer to keep people in one piece, or I have to patch 'm up again. But I am goin' to need an asperin when we're done," Marianne grinned slightly.  
  
The group quietly accepted the explanation and slipped past the sleeping guards. The fact that two were actually snoring did help out with Marianne's explanation. It did give them the creeps, though: she could make them believe anything! But then again: she had only just used her powers, and that had saved them a bit of a fight, so that was worth something.  
  
"This was when the selfdestruct thingy started to work," Marianne mused to herself, "guess Gun, Cyclops an' Rogue got through. Okay guys," she now spoke louder, "there are two halls with cells. Our job is to get as many of them out as we can. Nightcrawler and Shadowcat, you too will be in charge of getting most of them out. Jean, you need to use your TK to open the cells and the others, well, you carry as much people out as you can."  
  
"Rogue, Gun and Cyclops are coming this way, they disabled the self- destruct sequence," Jean informed Marianne.  
  
"Good, then Gun and Cyclops can make sure you all get the mutants out unharmed," Marianne smiled, before gesturing towards the door. Making clear that this was one of the things Jean had to open.  
  
Soon enough, everyone was busy while Marianne was checking up the mutants who weren't directly ported out. At the moment, she was having a lot of trouble convincing a girl that she really didn't want to hurt but wanted to help her.  
  
"Ouch!" Marianne yelped as a knife slashed her arm, for the third time. Apparently, the girl's mutation was creating knives. And she was far too handy with that power. As the blood on Marianne's right arm testified.  
  
"Okay, that's it. I just wanna help, and we need to get you outta here," Marianne straightened and used the very same illusion she had used on the guards.  
  
"That should do the trick. Now, let's get you outta here," she smiled, satisfied that this time around, things were going much better.  
  
"There should always be a second try at things," she joked to herself, while silently wincing as she used her wounded arm to help keep the girl on her feet.  
  
"Let me help," Kurt ported in and swung one arm around the sleeping girl and one arm around Marianne before porting the both of them out.  
  
"Where are the others?" Marianne asked as she saw that only the team who had been taking the captured mutants out of the base were at the jet. She instantly began to worry for Michael.  
  
"Zhey're remodeling zhe lab," Kurt grinned, as a red beam ripped through the roof of the lab.  
  
"Yeah, we, like, wanted to make sure, like, they wouldn't use that again. Those poor people!" Kitty said, she was looking slightly pale at having witnessed what had gone on in the lab.  
  
"So, that's how it look to see it go down and not be on the inside," Marianne grinned while cutting of the sleeve of her uniform, it had already been ripped apart by the girl's frightened attacks.  
  
"What happened ta ya?" Rogue winced as she saw the three cuts.  
  
"I kinda scared one of the captured mutants, I think. The one Kurt transported back with me, she can make knives out of objects. That hurt," Marianne winced as she cleaned the cuts before putting some bandages on them.  
  
A wide grin spread on her face as she saw Logan, Bobby, Ray, Michael and Scott came walking up while the lab was slowly falling apart behind them. There was something to be said for this kind of work, but Marianne knew very well that she wouldn't be coming along next time, for both her and Michael's sake.  
  
"Anne!" Michael called out as he saw her, letting out a breath he had been holding ever since they went in. Then he saw her bandaged arm: "what happened to you?!"  
  
"Aw, I've had worse. Don't fuss, it's not that big of a deal, I'm the doctor, remember. I got it like I get all of my injuries in the name of my job. Now, I've gotta ask you: just what is so damned scary about me that they think that I'm the bad guy... girl... what ever," Marianne joked.  
  
"You're a doctor, that's what's scary," Michael swung his arm around her.  
  
"Everyone is accounted for?" Scott looked the team over, and came to the conclusion that indeed everyone was accounted for.  
  
"Then I suggest we get back to the Institute and everyone can recieve proper care," Jean smiled sadly.  
  
//Other dimension//  
  
Ben was at the moment very confused, Rogue had just been asking him about the shower installation of the hall where all the girls were, at the moment, settled. Then again, he figured, everyone was entitled to being a little weird. Certainly with what was happening.  
  
The attempts of Forge weren't going good. He had indeed managed to open a portal to another dimension, but it hadn't lasted long and the forming of the opening had caused the safehouse to nearly fall apart, if Sarah hadn't stabalised the earth around it. Sarah was currently locked in her room with a major migraine.  
  
Later that night, when the girls were in the showers, several screams rang through the safehouse. As it appeared, someone had put green paint in the water supply. No one seemed to notice the fact that Remy had been washing his hands that afternoon, and that the used water had a suspiciously green colour. And this was only the start of the small disasters that would happen to the girls behind the plot of getting Remy and Rogue together. 


	20. Location

A/N: short chapter, I know, and not so very interesting, but it'll get better (I hope)

* * *

Fighting Destiny - Location  
  
Down in the med-lab, curled up in a chair, there was a sound asleep Marianne. She had every right to be exhausted she and Hank had been patching up victims ever since they had gotten back. And the day, and night, after that, they had been up consoling the same victims. The consoling was with help of the others, but still: Marianne and Hank were out of order.  
  
"Should we wake her up?" Ororo wondered, while looking at Logan and Michael.  
  
"No, she fell asleep just now, I'll take her upstairs and get her into bed," Michael whispered back. Like the rest of them, he had managed to get some sleep while Marianne and Hank had been patching the victims up.  
  
Silently, he walked over and lifted the sleeping woman into his arms. Instinctively, she snuggled a bit closer towards the warmth.  
  
"Bub," Logan stopped him before he could leave the med-lab, "make sure she sleeps in."  
  
"Don't worry," Michael grinned, "she'll sleep in, or I'll personally knock her out. The hard part will be keeping the rest quiet enough so she won't wake up because of them."  
  
"We'll take care of that," Ororo smiled at him as he passed them and headed towards his and Marianne's bedroom.  
  
As Marianne slept, Michael, Xavier, Logan, Hank and Ororo were working as hard as they could for the victims. Michael had been putting in calls to the leaders of the underground he knew from three years ago. Luckily, that hadn't changed. With some convincing they got places for the victims in the few safehouses there already were.  
  
When Marianne woke up the next morning, they were all gone. After thoroughly scolding Michael for not waking her up, she went to work on looking for whatever could be causing those rifts in her own dimension. It was a Sunday, and it was a bit of bad weather: it just wouldn't seem to stop raining.  
  
At first, she didn't know what to look for, but with Emily's help, she figured out she should be looking for an unexplained increase of energy. After calling in Kitty's and Hank's help, they began to tie each unexplained flood, vulcano-erruptions, earthquakes, Lance excluded, and other natural phenomena. But it would take a while.  
  
"Bobby! Ray! Stop that! Now!" Marianne scolded the two boys who were, currently, fighting over who had cheated on the computer game. Ofcourse, they completely ignored her.  
  
"Then we call out the big guns," she grumbled, while Michael smirked: he knew what was going to happen. She had done it before. He motioned the others to watch.  
  
All of a sudden, the two jumped up with a loud cry: "What was that good for?!"  
  
"It wasn't even real water, relax," Marianne giggled, "now, what was going on here that demanded a display of just how 'mature' the two of you are?"  
  
Both Ray and Bobby refused to answer, ducking their heads.  
  
"Am I going to get an answer this century?" she crossed her arms and glared at the two of them.  
  
"Ray was cheating!" Bobby then replied, simultaniously, Ray accused Bobby of cheating.  
  
"Aha, I see, and ofcourse, far evolved as you have from the caveman, you decided the best thing to do was to bash eachother's skull in. How mature," sarcasm was dripping off of her words, "Now, if I was Logan, I would put you in the Danger Room, if I was Tank, I would pitch you into a training session, but seeing as I am Marianne," both boys sighed in relief, "I am going to do something far, FAR worse."  
  
"Can she, like, do that?" Kitty asked Michael.  
  
"Considering the fact that she manages to keep the occupants of the safehouse in line, most of the time, I think she can certainly do that," Michael nodded as he watched Marianne drag both boys with her.  
  
"Man, zhat was scary. Was it me, or did she act like a mom?" Kurt joined the group.  
  
"It's not you," Michael shook his head.  
  
"What is she gonna do?" Rogue wondered out loud.  
  
"We'll hear during dinner," Michael grinned.  
  
Meanwhile, Marianne had finally tracked Logan down and had got approval to have the two polish the Blackbird with cotton buds, under strict supervision.  
  
"Ya know what, Ray?" Bobby groaned after a while.  
  
"What?" Ray's voice was heard from the other side of the jet.  
  
"I think she was serious. Gimme Dangerroom anytime..."  
  
- = Other dimension = -  
  
"She's what?!?" Shadow cried out.  
  
Rogue glared at the blackhaired man. They had picked him up during them closing the third rift. They had been forced to explain the entire mess to him, and too be honest: he didn't react too weel to Marianne's and Michael's disappearance. Well, he couldn't care less about Michael, it was Marianne who he worried about.  
  
"Why ain'tcha lookin' for 'r?!" he demanded.  
  
At that moment, another, loud explosion resonated through the safehouse.  
  
"We are," Sarah winced, "we have two people working on a device that will be able to get them back."  
  
"And that explosion was theirs?" Shadow grimaced as the rest nodded, "Why do I have the feelin' it'll take a loooong time before we see Marianne back?"  
  
- = With Marianne and Michael = -  
  
Marianne and Michael returned to their room after having spend some time down in the rec-room, when Marianne reached to turn of the computer and the program it was running, her hand froze just before the button.  
  
"Something wrong?" Michael looked at her.  
  
"I... it... the program... it found our ticket home," she turned to look at Michael, her expression was a micture of fear, ecxitement and caution.  
  
"Something is telling me it won't go easy, getting us home," Michael said, "we'll handle it tomrrow, Anne, come to bed. The rest is already asleep and I don't think it will disappear in the middle of the night."  
  
"I... I guess so," Marianne nodded, but left the computer on. 


	21. Offering an alliance

Agent-G: yeah, well, I'm thinking of changing my name into 'Misstress of Cliffhangers', it would be kinda fitting, don't ya think? Ofcourse I placed another cliffhanger, if I'm being tortured, you all should suffer! does insane laugh Uhm, yeah, okay, going on: the punishment, I always wondered what it would be like to actually make someone do that (lol).  
  
A/N: I'm make a reference to a story of Agent-G, it's called Reality Trip, the chapter refered to is chapter 13 (Just a Destiny), an' I don't own that, just my OC's used in that chapter. I strongly recommend you to read it, or I'll send Shadow to spend a week at your place! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that IS a threat.

* * *

Fighting Destiny - Offering an alliance  
  
"We're supposed to do what?!" Scott looked from the professor to Michael, then going to Marianne and ending with Logan.  
  
"We're gonna try and forge an alliance with the Acolytes, in order to face the bad guy. It's a logical course of action," Michael repeated.  
  
"The Acolytes? As in Magneto's Acolytes?! What makes you think they haven't alligned themselves with the bad guy?" Scott objected.  
  
Currently, they were discussing the course of action they needed to take. The location had been found, Central America, in the middle of nowhere. When Marianne and Kitty had ran a scan over the vacinity using one of the governments sattelites, they had come across an unusual output of energy.  
  
"That would be... highly unlikely," Marianne interrupted before Michael could mak a retort, "What has been happening over the past few weeks, all the 'natural' phenomena, like the floods, are a result of an overload of energy in this dimension. As it may not destroy this dimension, the abundance of energy, if mine and Michael's dimension is destroyed, will cause centuries worth of natural disasters, all over this entire universe."  
  
"I see your point," Scott nodded.  
  
'You tell 'm girl!' Emily's voice cheered.  
  
'Shut up,' Marianne snapped at her.  
  
'Fine, fine, see who'll give you the info next time, it ain't gonna be me!' Emily mock sniffed before retreating into her corner.  
  
"But how would we forge this alliance?" Jean wondered out loud.  
  
"That's where Marianne's and my acting comes into play. We basically need a spot where we can let our mutations go wild. That would draw Magneto's attention, wouldn't it? After we have it, we tell our story. Once he knows, I think it would be common interest to end this all as fast and good as possible," Michael sat back to observe everyone's reaction.  
  
"What makes you, like, think he'll listen?" Kitty was surprised by Michael's confidence.  
  
"Nothing, but it's our only choice. From the files," Michael began, but was interrupted by Logan.  
  
"Files? What files are ya talkin' 'bout, bub?" he growled.  
  
"Underground keeps files on every known mutant. From Jamie till Apocalyps, but you don't know that guy. Well, anyway, we keep tabs on their locations, stunts they pull, development of their powers. The basics, makes it easier to send help if they need it," Marianne explained patiently, "Mutant Underground is, after all, one of the largest and best organised pro-mutant groups around in our dimension."  
  
At the momant, she was replaying something that had happened a while back in the safehouse. The dimensional travelers. O yeah, she was certainly going to have to have a talk with Michael about saying that 'things like that didn't happen to them' or things along the line of that. She was certain that if he said that the sky wouldn't turn a bright, lollypop pink, that it would happen. She really had to run a test if that was also his mutation because it was getting creepy.  
  
"As I was saying, from the files Mutant Underground gathered on him, he is pretty interested in strong and well trained mutants. I've been trained to use it for a very long time, and Marianne's isn't as harmless at it seems either. Between the two of us, I think we can get them to show up," Michael smirked.  
  
"So, are zhe files on Magneto big?" Kurt asked, grinning.  
  
"Kurt, they need a whole seperate filing cabinet for the guy alone," Marianne smiled, "but that's pretty much your case too. And every single X-Man, Acolyte, or member of the Brotherhood. Although yours are a lot more positive."  
  
"So, when will we put this into play?" Xavier looked at Michael.  
  
"How about noon?" he suggested.  
  
"But, like, we'll be in school then!" Kitty objected.  
  
"You're not coming along. Wait, stop, let me explain," Michael held up his hands, "you guys ain't exactly liked by them, and we don't want this to turn into one big brawl," Logan snorted at this, "No we don't want that, I'm sure of it, Logan. We can handle this, we've dealt with a lot of hostilities in our own dimension."  
  
"I still believe you should take a couple of us with you," Xavier argued, "if only for Marianne's safety."  
  
Marianne grumbled at that: that was a low blow. That was just plain mean. Okay, they were thinking in her best interest, but she was nearly 22 by now! What, did she still need someone to tie her shoelaces or something?  
  
"Fine, Ororo, Scott, Jean, no Logan, you're not. If Sabertooth shows up, we won't even get to the explanation part because the fur'll be flying the second you find out he's there," Michael sighed. It really was better to have some back-up, at least to make sure Marianne wouldn't get herself killed.  
  
- = Other Dimension = -  
  
"Now, like Rogue, don't do something stupid," Kitty was slowly backing away from an all too threatening looking Rogue.  
  
"Yeah, chica, don't go and do something you'll regret," Jubilee joined in pleading.  
  
"Now I know why Marianne was so against it," Tabitha gulped as she saw Remy shuffle his cards.  
  
They were currently in the Training Room, and it was teams against teams. Rogue and Remy had joined up to teach just why people shouldn't try and play matchmaker with them. Most of them were already dealt with, only Tabitha, Jubilee and Kitty were left. And between Remy and Rogue, that didn't last long either.  
  
- = With Marianne and Micheal = -  
  
Marianne looked around the old warehouse, she and Michael were on top of it, Scott, Jean and Ororo had carefully hidden themselves so they could jump in at any moment.  
  
They didn't know how Magneto would pick up on them, they just knew he would. At the moment, Michael was having several pieaces of rock whizz across the roof and Marianne sat with her back against the wall of the staircase. Looking bored. Very bored.  
  
Marianne! Michael! He's coming Jean suddenly warned them.  
  
Thanks Jean Marianne said while faking a yawn.  
  
"Michael, I'm bored," she complained out loud, "can't we go and do something fun instead of you showing of your powers?"  
  
"I dunno babe, what didya have in mind?" he grinned at her.  
  
"Go to a bar or something. You said we were gonna have fun, this is not fun," she whined, keeping to her role.  
  
"Perhaps I can assist," and as if on cue, Magneto appeared above them. Marianne surpressed the strong urge to gag: this was tacky, way way way tacky. If he thought he could actually recruit like that, how did he ever get the Acolytes together like that?! She also saw Remy, 'bad guy, he's a bad guy right now! Think annoying Remy! Think Remy who blew up that table!' she mentally yelled at herself.  
  
"Good, you showed up, we've been waiting for you," Michael smirked.  
  
"What do you want?" Magneto was slightly surprised that he was expected, and Michael could see Remy starting to charge a card.  
  
"We have... a proposition, if you wish, for you," Marianne got up and walked over to stand by Michael's side.  
  
"What can you possibly have to offer?" Magneta sneered.  
  
"A temporary alliance. I'm Gun, this is Fantasy, we offer you a temporary alliance with us to get a job done, only one job," Michael spoke as if he was haggling for a used car.  
  
Marianne tensely waited Magneto's response, not feeling all too kindly towards the man. he had put his own daughter in an asylum for crying out loud! And he had caused her friends a lot of trouble, not to forget that little bit of information. She saw a sneer form on his face...

* * *

A/N: doncha just hate me? 


	22. Denied

Agent-G: glad that I got you frustrated evil grin and yeah, that reference was just too good to give up.

* * *

Fighting Destiny - Denied  
  
"Why would I, Magneto, even want to form an alliance with the two of you?" he sneered, before turning around.  
  
"To stop all those disasters happening around the world!" Marianne yelled in an attempt to stop him, "a lot of mutants get killed in them!"  
  
That did indeed stop Magneto: "How could you know how those are caused?"  
  
"Because we're here because of that. We need to stop it and we'd like your help with it," Michael replied, glaring at Magneto, making sure he could get in front of Marianne if need be. He could also see that Remy seemed to be interested, but that Magneto was far from it.  
  
"I have better things to do with my time then to listen to this," the older man sneered at them, before getting ready to leave.  
  
"Please! Hundreds will be killed, you have to help us!" Marianne cried out desperately. It had no effect on him and she let out a resigned sigh as he and Remy left, even though Remy had appeared to be interested in the story.  
  
"Remy'll help, he does back in our dimension. He's to big of an idiot to give up on this. He just probably went with the nut to try and get Collosus to help us," Michael tried to console her.  
  
"I just hope he does so quickly, before things go wrong," Marianne whispered.  
  
"Go wrong? Anne, things are going wrong, but if we stop this, we stop it from going any further," Michael wrapped her in his arms.  
  
"Ready to go back, Marianne, Michael?" Jean asked them while joining them on the roof.  
  
"I'm sorry it didn't work," Ororo offered.  
  
"We might not have gotten through to Magneto, but Remy seemed interested. We'll see, but it has to work, there simply is no other option," Michael turned to them.  
  
- = Other Dimension = -  
  
"I'm, like, thinking this whole matchmaking is, like, totally not a good idea," Kitty groaned as she gingerly touched the bandage around her wrist. While trying to get away from Rogue, she had fallen and had sprained her wrists. The rest of the girls had, once again, gotten to know just why Rogue had to control her mutation, or had been chased around by exploding cards.  
  
Meanwhile, Ben and Forge had finally managed to make a STABLE, non exploding, non tearing the house apart, device to create portals to other dimensions. Now, they faced one tiny little problem: how would they find the correct dimension?  
  
"We're gonna die if we tell 'm this," Ben sighed.  
  
"We're also gonna die if we don't tell 'm this," Forge added.  
  
"How about we get dead-drunk first, THEN tell 'm and then die due to alcohol poisoning?" the, sorta, redhead suggested.  
  
"I like the sound of that," Forge nodded, "will that go quick enough?"  
  
"One can only hope. I never died like that before and to be honest, I'll take that over Sarah any day."  
  
"Sarah?! I was more thinking along the lines of Wolverine!" Forge in turn cried out.  
  
"No way man! Logan sliceds, Sarah will first turn you into extra crispy, then turn you into crereal that was too long in milk, she will show you what it is like to suffocate and then she will burry you alive! That's way worse!" he nodded to give his statement extra force.  
  
"Bring on the drinks then," Forge groaned, "But what if Sarah and Logan gang up?"  
  
"Then no amount of liquor is gonna be enough," Ben shook his head.  
  
- = With Marianne and Michael = -  
  
Marianne had retreated to the forest on the grounds of the Institute, just sitting, her eyes closed, back against a tree, completely hidden from view if you walked over the paths. She figured she deserved a little time off. She had just trained with Michael, or had tried to. And Marianne had once again proven just why she wasn't a fighter in the kicking and hitting area. But there was no choice, she was going to have to come along: she had to go home with Michael.  
  
Then there was the fact that she was homesick, which was kinda funny, because her 'home' didn't exist yet, Marianne figured that it was sooner 'dimension-sick'.  
  
The last part was the whole Magneto-alliance-fiasco. She just couldn't believe he could be that stupid! She had heard that he only was open to one opinion: his own, but why did he have to be such a jerk about it and not even hear them out?  
  
Anyway, at the moment, she had some time to herself: Michael was training with Michael, the X-Men were doing their homework, Ororo was doing some business for the Institute, Hank was working in the med-lab and Xavier was doing some research on something, she didn't really know the details. Even Emily was quiet, probably because she was still offended by the fact that Marianne had told her to 'shut up'.  
  
They would go tomorrow, so everyone was a little tense, but Xavier had insisted that everyone would do their homework. There would be extra training after dinner and they would leave early next morning.  
  
But that was tomorrow, right now was perfection. She let herself drift away, catching some much needed sleep, because no matter what, she knew she was going to have nightmares tonight because of her nerves.  
  
- Later -  
  
It was time for dinner and Marianne had yet to show herself. Michael himself had a pretty good idea to where she was, or could be. Marianne had a tendency to disappear for short times when she needed a break. That usually happened when she had actually done the work from which she had to take a break, she was too plain stubborn to take a breather halfway.  
  
"I'll tell ya, that woman's gonna be the death of me one of these days," Michael grumbled, but the smile on his face proved that he wasn't serious. He quickly found her, sound asleep against a tree.  
  
"Ya know, ami, ya shouldn' leave such a belle femme out alone," he was stopped by an all too familiar voice: Remy. Michael shot a quick glance at Marianne to see if she was injured in any way, but that was not Remy's , he knew that.  
  
"You try and keep her from doing what she wants to do, Remy. I take it you were interested in our proposition," Michael snorted while walking over to Marianne, he squatted in front of the sleeping woman and brushed some of her dark blonde hair out of her face.  
  
"You two toget'er?" Remy came out to where Michael could see him.  
  
"Yeah, have been for three years now. You alone here?" he turned his head slightly.  
  
"Non, Remy got Piotr to try this alliance out too. Now Remy have a question pour toi, mon ami. How is iz dat Remy see you die t'ree years ago, but you be alive now?" Remy looked at him, his deck of cards ready in his hands.  
  
"Because he's not the Michael you saw. We're from another dimension and our dimension is being destroyed by the same thing that will wreak havoc onto your dimension," Marianne suddenly spoke up. Michael looked back at her to find her fully awake.  
  
"Merde. Dat be some big trouble," Remy cursed.  
  
"Well, Cajun, still up to it? Still wanna be in this alliance? Because you're in it back in our own dimension. Quite frankly: we saved your butt," Michael rose to his full heigth and turned to face the thief.  
  
"Remy always be up to de challenge, how 'bout you, Piotr?" Remy smirked, and now the Russian joined them as well. 


	23. Approaching destiny

Agent-G: I know what the big-bad is. I'm just being an evil author, you of all people should know that! The only lose end is the name of the big-bad. If you haven't guessed: I'm using an OC for that one.But I don't think it's fun to let them know who they are facing untill the very, very last second. Same goes for the readers grin.  
  
A/N: personally, I hate the first part of this chapter, blegh...

* * *

Fighting Destiny - Approaching destiny  
  
It had taken a long time to convince Piotr and Remy of the truth to their story and by the time the rest was convinced that Remy and Piotr weren't going to attack them in the middle of the night, it was already night and Marianne and Michael had retired to their room. There was just so much of the endless argument between Scott and Remy one could take.  
  
But still, neither of them could sleep. Marianne because she worried over the prediction Irene had made and Michael because he worried over Marianne.  
  
"Michael?" she asked after a while.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What if something goes wrong?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
"What do you mean? What if we can't get back? We'll just make a life for ourselves here," he smiled softly.  
  
"No, what if... what if one of us doesn't make it out? What will happen to you if I would die in there?" Michael heard that she was serious.  
  
"Marianne, look at me," he sat up, took her hand and put it over his heart, "if you die, the beating you feel under your hand will stop, I would die with you. Whatever happends to you, I will feel it. So don't even think for a split second that you'll die. Anne, if I stand there, in our dimension, and your not there with me, alive, then I won't set another foot."  
  
"Don't talk like that, Michael," Marianne was near to burst into tears.  
  
"Anne, I wouldn't know what to do without you..." he wanted to say more but Marianne cut him off.  
  
"The same you do as when I'm with you. Well, except for this," she leaned in and kissed him softly.  
  
- = Other Dimension = -  
  
All the alarms suddenly, in the middle of the night, went off. Everyone knew, once they were fully awake, that this only meant one thing: the big rift was forming. The one who could destroy their own dimension with ease. Never before had everyone gotten their uniforms on that quickly and had it down to the briefing-room that fast. Grim expression seemed to be on everyone's face as they waited for Forge and Ben to find the location of the big rift.  
  
"Well," Forge entered the room early next morning, "We have good news and we have bad news."  
  
"Good!" they all yelled, feeling that good news would soften the blow.  
  
"We found the locations, Central America, middle of nowhere. Ben is programming a flight path towards it into the jet," Forge sat down, "the bad news is that this is real and overloading the rift with energy won't work. We can't generate as much energy to close the rift even if we would fly the jet into the damned thing."  
  
- = With Marianne and Michael = -  
  
They were on their way to the location Kitty and Marianne had pinpointed. Michael was seated next to Marianne and kept throwing glances at her. The conversation they had had last night had set of an alarm in his head. He had the feeling that there was something Marianne wasn't telling him, and that worried him: it was very rare that Marianne kept something from him. Most of the time that was when she had gotten hurt when he wasn't at the safehouse.  
  
Rogue also kept looking at the couple from her backseat: she clearly remembered what Marianne had told her the day Rogue had seen her argueing with Irene: if she faced this, it was her destiny to die. Marianne had obviously not told Michael about Irene's warning, otherwise Michael would at least have seemed a bit more stressed out about this.  
  
It seemed to take an eternity before the jet landed, it was quiet as the group left it. The first thing that Marianne noticed that what she saw was not what she usually saw. She saw currents of energy, they all seemed to originate in one point.  
  
'Emily, what's going on?' Marianne asked the entity hesitantly.  
  
'We're close, the closer we are, the more powerful I become. You're picking up on my abilities. I remember now,' Emily's voice was a mere whisper, apparently awed by a long forgotten memory, 'Long ago, after the first split, there was an entity created to prevent further splitting. The power of the entity was uncontrollable, the powers corrupted it, it craved more and more. We could not allow it. It knew that, and tried to evade us, it failed, I was among those who finished it off. I remember now, its last words. It said that it would return. This is one of its 'eggs', it has started to hatch, and to grow, it needs the energy of an entire dimension flow through it into this dimension so that it can sustain the hatchling.'  
  
'You're telling me that we need to destroy a baby?!' Marianne was horrified by what Emily had told her.  
  
'It is not a baby, a baby does not destroy dimensions in order to grow,' Emily retorted.  
  
'I will not have any part of it!' Marianne couldn't believe it, 'if we destroy it... it's still so young! If we destroy it, we're no worse then the entity you destroyed!'  
  
'You will have part of it. It is your destiny. I could not see it untill now, but you had the ability to trap me in your mind, you will have the ability to destroy it because we are one!' Emily was losing her patience with the debate.  
  
'How can I? I'm not a fighter! I'm a doctor,' Marianne pleaded desperately.  
  
"Marianne! Anne!" Michael's voice broke through to her, she blinked several times before looking up at him.  
  
"Anne, are you allright?" he asked worriedly, she could see that the others looking at her.  
  
"I'm fine, I had a discussion with Emily. So, everyone ready? It's over there," Marianne pointed towards where she could see the energy bundle up.  
  
"How do you know zhat?" Kurt looked at her.  
  
"Emily's getting stronger the closer we get to it. I'm using her abilities," Marianne tapped the right side of her head, before starting to follow the currents, to only come to the conclusion that her way blocked by a rather large rock because she collided with it head first.  
  
"Ouch, that hurt," she groaned while rubbing her head.  
  
- = Other dimension = -  
  
"So, you're, like, sure it's here?" Kitty looked sceptical at Forge.  
  
"Yes, the readings are getting stronger here, and I'd think that all of this would kind of, I don't know, give it away?" Forge gestured around himself, and indeed, their surroundings looked like a video game that was either still in construction or being demolished. And considering their situation, it was closer to destruction then being put back together.  
  
- = With Marianne and Michael = -  
  
"Kurt! Look out!" Jean's warning was just in time for Kurt to teleport away before being crushed by a very eager, carnivorous plant.  
  
Remy and Scott had blown the rock apart to reveal, what appeared to be a long, deep cave. After about ten minutes of walking, they had run into an overactive piece of weed.  
  
"Where's Ezra when ya need 'r?" Marianne yelped as she saw it.  
  
"Ezra?" Rogue looked slightly thrown of by that.  
  
"A girl I took care of in my own dimension. She can control plants," Marianne replied before jumping out of the way from the plant.  
  
"You go on, petite, Remy'll take care of the weed," Remy threw some charged cards at the plant.  
  
"I never thought I would say this, but: I agree with Remy. We move on. Be carefull!" Scott ordered.  
  
"I'll stay too, this overgrown daffodil needs to chill," Bobby grinned, before freezing a large portion of the plant. Scott agreed with this and the rest moved further. (A/N: I know it's weird, but it has to be like this in order for the coming chapters to work)  
  
- = Other Dimension = -  
  
"Why exactly are we doin' dis?" Remy wondered out loud, next to Tank.  
  
"Cause we can't give up," Tank shrugged, "it's what we do: we'll be stubborn, fight against the odds and somehow come out as the winners. Well, it's either that or front row tickets to the end of the world. Either way, I'm there."  
  
"Mon ami, you are not well in de head. Remy likes it," Remy grinned.  
  
They were getting closer, the disturbances were getting bigger and they had divided into teams, under the strict orders not to leave anyone behind. It wasn't like they were going to, the chances of losing someone were far too big, as were the missing pieces of, what used to be, earth, sky, anything. And those spots were rapidly expanding.  
  
- = With Marianne and Michael = -  
  
There were just three left, just Marianne, Michael and Rogue. Kitty and Kurt had both been knocked out by a surprise rockslide, Scott had staid behind with Ray and Amara to try and fend of, what looked most like gargoyles or something. Piotr and the rest had been seperated from Michael, Marianne and Rogue by some kind of wall coming down between them and a very large piece of floor sinking away, making it impossible to get to the other side.  
  
It was just at the end of the corridor, Marianne knew it: the currents got more and more powerful, well, that and Emily yelling at her that she needed to get ready.  
  
"Whoa, why do Ah think that that's the bad guy?" Rogue shuddered as they came to the end of the corridor.  
  
"Because, Rogue, that is the bad guy," Marianne winced looking at it, with what she was able to see now, it hurt her eyes: it seemed like a grand statue trapped in a vortex of energy. Somehow, she was drawn towards it: there was a strange beauty to the statue. She had to come closer to it.  
  
"Anne! Stop!" she heard Michael yell, "What are you doing?!"  
  
"Facing my destiny, and I'm going to fight it, Michael, with every fibre in my body, with every concious thought in my mind," she replied, stepping even closer towards it, she was now so close she could feel the energy, it burned against her skin and it hurt. It hurt so much, but she wouldn't cry, if she broke down now, she wouldn't stand a chance against her destiny.  
  
She closed her eyes for a minute, when she opened them, she was just in time to see the energy rush towards her and envelope her, trapping her in the vortex. She could hear Michael scream her name, but then, excruciating pain overtook her and she crumbled... 


	24. I am one

Agent-G: yes, it is nearing the end, I don't know if this chapter was what you were waiting for, it's kinda weird.  
  
A/N: there is a reference in this chapter to a one-shot I wrote: _'I can't give up'_.

* * *

_**Fighting Destiny - I am one  
**_  
Everything hurts, breathing hurts, the beating of my own heart hurts, but most of all, thinking hurts. All I want to do is float away into oblivion. Yet I cannot. There is something tugging me away from the void I so desperately crave for, for in the void, I will not feel the pain I feel right now. I don't think anything can hurt as much as this does.  
  
At first, I can't see, can't hear, all I can do is feel the pain, feel blood driping down over my arms, my back, my face. I don't know how I stay sane. I think I didn't at first. Why else would I crave for the void?  
  
Before I got in here, I was two seperate beings. One human, one interdimensional. Now I am one. I no longer am Marianne, no longer am Emily. I am both and I am neither. It is confusing. I am a child, yet I have the memories of life as a 22 year old woman and the memories of an ancient being, and memories that had been sealed away resurface. Still, I merely have existed for a few seconds, mostly hours. I was born and now I am old. When this is over, I will be dead. It is my destiny and even though Marianne inside wishes to fight this, I don't think that I can.  
  
I struggle to do something as simple as to stand. It should not be so difficult, even if it is the first time I stand. But still it is.  
  
I look down on my body and realise this is still Marianne's body. The jeans she wore are torn, burned, bloodstained. The blue T-Shirt is no longer blue. I don't know if she will survive, I hope she does, but I do not know. Her arms are open, bleeding heavily. From her memories of being a doctor I know that she, I, we are in trouble.  
  
Standing was hard, but moving is even harder. With every step I take forward, it is as if I take seven back, it all seems so futile. By all standards, I am a newborn, then why should I stand and face this entity, who, by all accounts, is also nothing more then a child?  
  
I do not desire to hurt, or even kill the other entity, but I will. It is Marianne's desire to protect her friends, her family and Emily's knowledge of what will happen if I do not kill it. That, I cannot permit to happen.  
  
I feel something trickle down my face, expecting it to be a tear, I wipe it away, but as I look at my hand, I see it was not. Not if it is a tear of blood. I cannot let it be a tear of blood, for Marianne once said that she would sooner cry tears of blood then that she would give up. If I let it be a tear of blood, she can give up.  
  
She is not weak, not strong either. She has seen many things, not as much as Emily, but her connection to it makes it more present then anything Emily has seen. If I have to lable Marianne, I don't think that I could, she is complicated, full of contradictories. Emily is another story. Before she joined Marianne, emotions were a concept alien to her, but I find from her more current memories that she enjoys them.  
  
Moving gets even harder, I do not know if it is the bloodloss or if it is that I am getting closer to the source of all that has happened. It must be the source, the other entity. It is strange, in many ways: it is like me. It had no choice in it's existance, it is unlike anything else, it is unique. Yet I am to destroy this entity or try as hard as I can. Still, I cannot shake of the feeling that it is as if I am about to strike down a sibling. I do not have siblings, so this emotion is futile, unneeded, but it is still here.  
  
The part of me that once was Marianne is begging me not to go through, to try and find another way. She has killed before and has spend every moment of her life regretting it. I think that is because she is just like that. That is one of the many reasons I cannot understand it. She knows that if she needs to, she will kill, but she mourns it beyond my ability to comprehend.  
  
Most of my wounds have stopped bleeding by now. Some still do, but no longer as heavily. My instinct tells me I have lost a great deal of blood.  
  
My steps get lighter somehow and I begin to see things more clearly now, I get used to my surroundings. But what I see is still unkown to me, and hostile. The vortex is a swirling mix of colours and lights. It hurts to look at it, but there is nothing else to look at. I feel alone, I wish that I was not one, for then I wouldn't be alone.  
  
Finally, I come to face the other entity. There is no need for words. We do not see eachother as enemies, we are not. We are two living creatures who want to keep on living, that does not make us evil, it is only those who pay the price for our actions who see us as either evil or good. There is one difference between us, however. If I win, I will still die: Emily and Marianne will seperate again. Perhaps they die, perhaps they won't. I cannot tell. When the other wins, the other will survive and I will die.  
  
Why do I still fight when there is no way for me to see what my actions will cause? Because neither Marianne nor Emily wish to give up, so I will not either.  
  
Once again, I am assaulted by the pain, but this time, it is no stranger to me. Strange how you can get used to so much pain given the right incentive. I force myself to stand and face the other. The other's skin is smooth, white, as if molden from the purest snow. Its eyes are void, pure, complete black, an eery contrast to the white skin, still these eyes draw me more towards it then the skin, even though both are unusual.  
  
I raise my hands and retaliate, but it does not bring joy to see the other crumble in pain. I thought that it would, for it would bring a sence of victory. It does not and I realise that when two fight, two shall lose. No matter who beats the one opposing him, no matter what the so-called winner obtains. It shall forever have a bitter taste.  
  
The other stands once again, and this time, we try to counteract eachother's attacks. But we are equal and opposite. I need more strength if I am to win, otherwise, we can stand here untill all eternity, and unlike the other, I do not have all eternity, for the other still draws the energy out of Marianne's dimension and will destroy it, that is why I am, to prevent that.  
  
Voices and images flash around me in my mind, people talking to Marianne, faces of people she helped, faces of people she loves. Michael is by far the one most common. At first, I do not know why she is doing this, but then I realise it: how could I have been so stupid? Every time Marianne lost her own strength to go on, she thought of those depending on her and drew strength from that. I do not remember those people myself, but I do know who Marianne remembers, and I draw strength from that. Finally, she has given up fighting me, trying to get me to change the outcome, and now, I am one. Now I am strong enough to defeat the other.  
  
Perhaps it is too easy, but I am glad, for this body cannot take a lot more. Even as it is now, I do not know if the body will be able to go on.  
  
The power increase I recieved is minimal, not enough. At least, that is what I think, but Marianne yells at me, telling me to either go on and win or 'die already', to start believing more in what I am doing. Emily simply states I need to go on. They are right, I did not fully believe in what I am doing, I try to believe and manage to get closer to the other. Not close enough, but the other is already feeling the strain.  
  
There is no beauty in this fight, we are simply fighting to survive, and for me to survive, I need to fight and change destiny. I gain more strength from my own desire to survive, the other crumbles for it. Tears trickle down my face, yes, I am crying for the one who would destroy an entire dimension, for it is like me, and it will die with only me knowing about its existance. Marianne and Emily may tell others about it, but in the end only I will truely know it.  
  
The energy I am using to defeat the other is hurting me as well. Burning me. I can't give up, so I step even closer towards the other, even though it no longer moves, I can still feel that it is alife, for it is the only one even remotely like me. Killing it is the hardest thing I can imagine, perhaps because I truly do not want to do it, kill the other, perhaps because the other is strong. But I have to be stronger, I am stronger, then, I feel nothing. Just, all of a sudden, nothing. It no longer resists the pain, now it has gone into the void, it looks at me with these big, not understanding, black eyes and I realise why it was so easy: it doesn't understand that it existance will hurt people, kill people. The gaze breaks and it is gone, I am one and I am alone.  
  
A strange pain surges through me, I can hear Emily telling me what to do, to open a portal for Michael and Marianne to get through, not me, I'm not supposed to. I can feel everything, everything from the two dimensions I am in between of. I can feel a pain, Michael, he thinks Marianne is gone. I can't let him think that. I can feel that Sarah, Gambit, Tank and Hank are on the other side. I need Sarah's help to do this. I need something that can connect through the dimensions, the elements, so that this place will be destroyed and Michael and Marianne will be brought back and I... I will just fade away.  
  
I don't know how, but as breathing gets harder for, as the colours starts to blur, I can see fir rush through, then earth, air and finally water. And I collapse, I no longer am one. I am two again. 


	25. Souvenires you never lose

Agent-G: glad you liked it. I used to write like that all the time, but my friends started to freak out, seeing as I was... what... 14 or something? So I got the whole: that's bad, don't do that, you're weird, we don't wanna be your friend anymore, all that junk. I'm currently working on an original story of my own with that kinda writing. And my current friends are all like: 'you should get that published' and stuff.  
  
A/N: title come from a song belonging to the Goo Goo Dolls, called Name. The correct sentence would be: _scars are souvenires you never lose_.  
  
A/N: the last part is written especially for Damn-My-Name-Was-Taken

* * *

_**Fighting Destiny - Souvenires you never lose**_  
  
Now he looked back on it, Michael didn't really know what happened. On minute he saw Marianne being swallowed up into that vortex, the next he was somewhere where he couldn't breathe and after that he saw Marianne, who looked like she had been through hell, being examined by Hank. He was being helped up by Remy and Sarah was out cold, Tank was holding her.  
  
Michael remembered pushing Remy away and rushing towards Marianne. There was so much blood, all over her, he remembered seeing Hank work frantically to atleast try and stop some of the bleeding. Her arms looked like a mess, but her face, that had been what scared him. Even though it was bloodstained, it was untouched, but he could see in how much pain she was, had been.  
  
It had seemed like an eternity untill Hank had said that it was save to move her. From then on, everything had gone into a frenzy, an organised frenzy, but still, a frenzy.  
  
Right now, Tank was all that kept Michael from breaking down the door, seeing as he was in front of the door and Hank was operating on Marianne, trying to undo some of the damage she had been through. Sarah had gone to call Underground that they had dealt with anything and the others had been threatened by Sarah and Logan to stay away from the corridor.  
  
Ben wasn't sure what to do, Sarah and Tank were in charge when neither Michael nor Marianne could, but he didn't know where that left him. He was worried, for both Marianne and Michael. If they lost Marianne, he was sure that they would lose Michael. Seeing Michael like this scared him, he was used to Michael being strong, levelheaded. Finally, he opted for raiding the bar. Yeah, that was probably the best thing he could do.  
  
Meanwhile, Michael kept replaying the conversation he had had with Marianne the night before, in his head, there was something off. She was too sure something would happen, it was almost as if... as if she knew! Yes, that could be the only explanation: she knew something was going to happen! He cursed silently at that: how could he have missed that?!  
  
It took so long before Hank came out of the operating room, when he saw Michael sit, he smiled encouragingly at him.  
  
"How is she?! She's fine, right? She has to be!" Michael nearly attacked him, he wanted to know how she was so badly.  
  
"I'm confident that she'll make a full recovery. She has lost a lot of blood and had some internal injuries (A/N: sorry, I'm not a doctor), I stitched up most of the larger wounds and she is currently in the hospital, but she's still..." Hank stopped when he saw that Michael was already gone.  
  
"She's the One for him," Tank explained to Hank, "if he'd lose her... man... I don't even wanna think 'bout what would happen to him. They're lucky, though, they know they love eachother. Piece of advice, blue, don't even suggest to Michael that he should leave the room. As long as she's out cold, you won't stand a chance. When she's up, she'll kick him out of the room sooner or later."  
  
- In the hospitalroom -  
  
Michael winced when he saw the bandages Marianne seemed to be covered in. She was hooked to some machines, he didn't really know what they did, she would know. And she would tell him to stop worrying, that it wasn't good for his bloodpressure or something.  
  
She would have some new scars, especially on her arms. He had seen the wounds, and he knew thoses were messy enough to leave scars, not big scars, but still: scars. Reminders of her pain.  
  
"You just get better, Anne," he softly told her while taking the chair she always sat in when she was helping patients deal with their experiences.  
  
- Next day -  
  
Marianne had been drifting in and out of conciousness the entire night, but now, she seemed completely awake and she had threatened Hank that she would put the painkillers up where the sun don't shine. She hated painkillers, and Hank now knew exactly how much she hated them.  
  
"You know, guys, for being a doc, I wake up here far too often," Marianne pouted at her visitors, crossing her arms. Hank had already caught her twice trying to sneak out. Luckily she was still a bit wobbly on her feet and he got her easily back into bed. It was true: doctors make the worst patients.  
  
Luckily, now that she was having visitors, she couldn't sneak of and Hank could relax for a little while. Most of the X-Men had returned to the Institute earlier that day, Remy had left too. Rogue, Kurt and Jean had decided to stay and help get the safehouse back up.  
  
"That's cause ya get into all too much trouble for a doc, doc," Tank grinned at her.  
  
"Guess so, hey, did Michael tell you all we'll be taking a loooong vacation? He's getting you guys a replacement doctor, I heard something about a certain 'Luka'," she looked at Ben, who turned a bright red: when he had just became part of Underground, it was well known he had had a thing for the human woman. Marianne knew Luka from her recovery days as Anne. Luka's brother had been a mutant. Had been. He was killed by some group of mutant haters.  
  
"I believe it is time for Marianne to get some rest, if you would all be so kind as to leave," Hank spoke up as he saw that Marianne had gotten a little paler again and that she was tensing up in her bed to fight off the pain. The others noticed it now too, and quietly left.  
  
"Hank, if you even get that needle close to my arms I'll personally shove it up where the sun don't shine," Marianne threatened him.  
  
"I don't understand why you don't want the painkillers," he sighed as he lowered the injection he had been preparing for her.  
  
"I don't like being sedated, Hank, I don't like not being able to give things my full attention. I'm going to sleep now," Marianne smiled tiredly at the blue doctor and curled up in the bed. She felt the bandages on her arms. She would have more scars, great. The scars from the lab going boom on her were hardly noticable, it would take some time for the new ones to fade to that. They were eternal reminders of that she had fought to save and what it had cost her.  
  
- Next day, evening - _(this part is for D-M-N-W-T_)  
  
"Good luck, Michael," Hank smiled at the nervous looking man in front of him and left the corridor.  
  
Michael took one deep breath before stepping into the hospitalroom where Marianne was still recovering. She hadn't told him what had happened to her, but he could see in her eyes that something had happened and that it had hurt her, a lot. And not just physically. He could see it in the shadow that flies over her face when they talked about the whole mess.  
  
"Michael? How did you... Hank will be mad with you when he finds out you snuck in," Marianne looked at him in surprise.  
  
"I made a little deal," Michael smiled while sitting down next to her, "you scared me real bad, Anne, real bad. I thought I'd lost you."  
  
"I know, I felt your pain, right here," she pointed at her chest, "I can't talk about what happened in the vortex, Michael, not yet. It hurts just to think about it."  
  
"And I'm not asking you to talk about it, I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I came damn close to losing you two days ago, and I don't ever wanna get that close again."  
  
He closed his mouth and just looked at her, with a soft smile, reserved just for her, he brushed his hand down her left cheek.  
  
"And I've been thinking, for a while now, actually. I love you, Anne, more then anything. We've been living together for a good time now and you've put up with a lot from me and you kick my butt everytime I need it. I love you, Anne, and I wanna marry you, if you'll have me," he looked at her, waiting for her response.  
  
He saw her eyes widen, her hand came over his and squeezed: "What makes you think I won't have you, Michael? Ofcourse I wanna marry you."  
  
"I'm glad, Anne, I don't think I can ever tell you how glad I am," Michael silently whispered.  
  
"I know, I can feel it, right here," Marianne once again pointed at her chest and smiled: she had faced destiny, fought it and had survived. Perhaps it hadn't been her destiny to die, perhaps the one who was supposed to die was the one she had been part of. But still: she had fought destiny, and now that she looked at Michael, she couldn't help but feel like she had won.  
  
.  
  
The end

* * *

And yes, there is gonna be a sequel (or should it be triquel?), I am already working on it. 


End file.
